By JOAN NWAGWU

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) says the two-month outstanding wage awards due to federal civil servants will be paid in April and May.

Mr Shehu Mohammed, National President of ASCSN, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mohammed said the agreement on settlement of the outstanding money, after many months of delay, was reached between ASCSN and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

“The wage award has been pending for quite a long time, and we are glad that progress has been made through engagement with the Office of the Accountant-General.

“One month will be paid immediately, while the remaining month will be paid with the following month’s salary.

“We can now say we have addressed the issue of outstanding arrears and are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, although, more work is still ahead,” he said.

Mohammed said the payment of the outstanding wage awards would bring relief to workers, and ease their financial pressure, after months of uncertainty

Mohammed said the association had consistently pressed for the settlement of outstanding entitlements.

According to him, the delay had worsened economic hardship for workers already grappling with rising living costs.

He assured that the union would continue to engage the government on other outstanding issues, including salary adjustments, allowances, housing, and transportation support.

The ASCSN president reaffirmed the union’s commitment to sustained dialogue with the government to ensure improved welfare for workers across the country.

“The struggle continues until civil servants are fully relieved of economic pressures affecting their productivity,” he said.

Mohammed urged the government to accelerate reforms in the civil service remuneration structure, stressing that improved welfare would enhance productivity and service delivery.

NAN recalls that the federal government introduced the wage award in 2023 to cushion economic hardship after fuel subsidy removal, offering temporary financial relief to federal civil servants pending a new minimum wage.

The wage award was set at N35,000 monthly for federal civil servants, intended to run for several months as a stopgap while negotiations with labour unions on salary adjustments continued.

Payments were made in instalments rather than consistently, with some months paid promptly and others delayed due to administrative and fiscal challenges within the government’s payroll system.

Initially, up to five months accumulated as arrears, but gradual payments reduced the backlog, leaving about two months of the wage award still outstanding for many federal civil servants. (NAN)

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