The federal government has said it has commenced payment of five-month wage award arrears of N35,000 to civil servants since the end of May 2025.
The Director of Media, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, made the clarification in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST on Monday.
Mokwa also clarified that the government has implemented a N70,000 minimum wage payment to all its employees.
His clarifications is in response to claims by the spokesperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Benson Upah, in an Arise Television interview on Sallah day (last Friday).
The NLC through Upah had berated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration over the delay in payment of wage awards and allowances.
The NLC spokesperson had lamented that the Tinubu’s government had neglected workers’ welfare, as economic hardship took a toll on civil servants.
He described the delay as a “betrayal of trust” and “shameful”.
However, reacting, Mokwa explained that the government has kicked off the payment of the arrears of the wage award.
He stated that the payment would be made in installments in the next four months.
Similarly, Mokwa clarified that the federal government has commenced the minimum wage payment across its ministries, agencies, and parastatals.
Recall that president Tinubu had in July 2024 signed the minimum wage bill into law.
However, despite the approval, there are still complaints of its full implementation at both federal and the state government levels.
