By KADIRI ABDULRAHMAN

Many federal civil servants have urged the Federal Government to pay the outstanding arrears of wage award as a matter of necessity.

The civil servants, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, urged the government to consider the harsh economic condition in the country and offset the arrears.

Ibrahim Abbas, a federal health worker, said that the long delay in clearing the arrears of the wage award was no longer acceptable.

According to him, the money is needed now to cushion the effect of economic hardship.

“The condition of government workers has never been this bad. The Federal Government needs to take all necessary steps to clear the outstanding two months arrears of the wage award, ” he said.

Another civil servant, Mr Patrick Ugo, urged the Federal Government to pay up the arrears without further delay.

“The government should realise that the present minimum wage of N70 ,000 is unrealistic. The wage award will give the workers some relief.

” I will urge the Federal Government, through the Accountant-General of the Federation, to pay the outstanding two months, totaling N70,000 before April salaries, ‘ ‘ he said.

Mr Sule Aliu urged the Federal Government to review the minimum wage and also make the N35,000 wage award a permanent addition to the monthly salaries of civil servants.

According to Aliu, this will go a long way to alleviate the financial pressure of the workers.

Sani Garba urged the Federal Government to always fulfill its obligations to civil servants without delay to prevent labour agitation.

According to Garba, the government should consider the present economic realities and make the wage award a permanent addition to the present salary.

Aliyu Sani said workers were going through hardship on a daily basis and stressed the need for the Federal Government to pay the arrears of the wage award.

NAN reports that the wage award was a temporary payment to workers, approved in 2023 to ease the burden of fuel subsidy removal, supplementing salaries while a new national minimum wage was being negotiated.

It was to act as a cost-of-living adjustment, but payments faced delays, causing frustration and leading to ongoing demands from labour unions for full implementation and clearance of arrears.

In April 2025, the Federal Government announced that it would pay the outstanding five months of the N35,000 wage award arrears to workers.

The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), said that the Federal Government had earlier paid five months of the wage award in installments.

It said that the outstanding arrears would be paid in installments of N35,000 per month for five months.

The OAGF said that the Federal Government was determined to fully implement all policies and agreements regarding staff remuneration and welfare to enhance productivity and efficiency.

But after the first installment was paid in May, 2025, the second instalment was not paid until August, 2025, while the third instalment was recently paid on March 6.

This leaves an outstanding payment of two months, amounting to N70,000

Meanwhile, the Federal Government said that it was committed to clearing the remaining two months arrears of N35,000 wage award without further delay.

Mr Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, OAGF, said that the payment was subject to the availability of funds.

Mokwa said that with the payment of the third tranche in February, there were two remaining tranches to exhaust the wage award arrears.

“Contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the Federal Government has not reneged on payment of the wage award arrears. The payment of the third tranche clearly attessts to this.

“The Federal Government will continue to pay the wage award in installments of N35,000 per month until the outstanding arrears is exhausted,” he said. (NAN)

Police bury four officers killed by Boko Haram in Borno

The Borno State Police Command on Sunday laid to rest four officers, including two inspectors and two constables, who were killed while repelling a terrorist attack in Nganzai Local Government Area.

In a statement, the command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, identified the deceased as Inspector Samuel Ezekiel of Nganzai Division, Inspector Sanusi Mohammed of 58 PMF Lafiya, Police Constable Bitrus Luka of Crack Squad BRS, and Police Constable Shaibu Bukar of Crack Squad BRS.

“The solemn interment ceremony took place today, 05/04/2026, at the Kawar Maila Burial Ground and the Maximum Prison Burial Ground, Maiduguri, in accordance with religious rites,” Daso said.

He listed attendees to include the Commissioner of Police, Borno State Command, Naziru Abdulmajid, the Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations, ACP Jawi A. Mohammed, and other members of the Command’s management team.

Daso noted that funeral rites were conducted by officers of the Command Chaplaincies, CSP Bukar Gajibo (Imam) and CSP Theophilus Mutum (Chaplain), who offered prayers for the repose of the souls of the fallen officers.

“The command honours their courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to duty,” he added.

PUNCH had reported on Saturday that suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked an Internally Displaced Persons camp at Damasak and the Nganzai Divisional Police Headquarters, partially burning an unserviceable Armoured Personnel Carrier and killing four police officers and one hunter.

Daso, the command’s spokesperson, said the attackers deployed Rocket-Propelled Grenades and other sophisticated weapons in an attempt to overrun the town but were repelled by security forces.

“The Borno State Police Command has successfully repelled coordinated terrorist attacks on Nganzai and Damasak communities, restoring normalcy and reinforcing security deployments in the affected areas,” the statement reads.

Giving a breakdown of the attacks, Daso said, “On 4th April 2026, at about 0100hrs, armed terrorists suspected to be members of Boko Haram/ISWAP attacked the Nganzai Divisional Police Headquarters in an attempt to overrun the town. Police Divisional officers, in collaboration with PMF operatives and Crack Squad on special duty, engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle.”

“The attackers, who deployed Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and other sophisticated weapons, caused damage to a section of the station and partially burnt an unserviceable Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC). Regrettably, four police personnel paid the supreme price in the line of duty,” he added.

In a related incident on the same day at about 0240hrs, terrorists attacked Mallam Fatori IDP Camp in Damasak, targeting a CJTF/Hunters duty post at the entrance of the camp.

“During the attack, one member of the Hunters Group, Atom Abua (40 years), lost his life, while about twenty thatched houses and properties were destroyed,” Daso said. (The PUNCH)