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The Federal Government has reassured that all civil servants will be paid their salaries before the end of this month. The reassurance was contained in a statement issued this evening in Abuja by Paul C Nwabuikwu, Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Nwabuikwu insisted that most civil servants have been paid and berated the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria for misleading Nigerians on the issue.

Describing the association’s recent press release on the issue as being “full of falsehood and distortions about the current status of the payment of federal civil servants,” Nwabuikwu said:

“The group is fast earning a reputation as a tool of political groups ready to deploy scurrilous falsehood against the policies and programmes of the Federal Government. It clearly does not represent the interest of the vast majority of hard working and professional civil servants.

“Contrary to the group’s statement, it is absolutely untrue that “government has not been able to pay thousands of civil servants their October and November salaries.”

“As can be confirmed, the overwhelming majority of civil servants are getting their salaries regularly.

“The true situation, as stated by the CME during the Presentation of the 2015 Budget proposal yesterday, is that there was a delay in paying the salaries of some civil servants in some ministries due to a technical glitch which affected the IPPIS system through which payments are made.

“Delays were also caused by some MDAs using money set aside for salaries to pay allowances without consultation with the Budget Office.

“As CME has promised, the issues are being resolved and all civil servants will be paid their salaries before the end of December.”

•Photo shows Okonjo-Iweala.

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