The Federal Government has assured federal public servants that payment of the outstanding wage award will commence before the middle of August, while outstanding promotion arrears are also being processed as part of efforts to fulfil commitments made to workers.
The assurance was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, during a meeting on Wednesday with the leadership of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Trade Side, led by its National President, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir, according to a statement by the ministry.
Oyedele said the government had already begun addressing many of the issues raised by the council before receiving its formal communication.
According to the minister, the necessary approvals for the payment of the outstanding wage award are being finalised, expressing confidence that eligible public servants would begin receiving the payments before mid-August.
“When government makes commitments, it delivers. We are not in the habit of making promises that cannot be fulfilled. Where there are outstanding issues, we will give realistic timelines and ensure they are implemented,” he said.
The minister also disclosed that promotion arrears were receiving the required attention, with outstanding batches being processed in line with established procedures.
He directed relevant officials to immediately review documents submitted by the JPSNC, work with concerned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and accelerate action on all outstanding labour-related issues requiring government intervention.
Oyedele acknowledged concerns expressed by organised labour over delays in implementing some agreements, assuring that the Federal Government would continue to strengthen trust through transparency, regular engagement and prompt action.
Earlier, JPSNC National President, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir, urged the government to expedite the resolution of pending labour issues, including the outstanding wage award, promotion arrears, salary relativity concerns affecting health workers and other welfare matters.
He noted that the timely implementation of the outstanding commitments would further promote industrial harmony and reinforce workers’ confidence in the government’s commitment to their welfare.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working closely with organised labour to ensure approved workers’ entitlements are processed and released without unnecessary delays.
He said the ministry would continue collaborating with relevant government institutions to fast-track the resolution of outstanding labour issues, stressing that constructive dialogue remains key to sustaining industrial harmony.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammed Sanusi Danjuma, disclosed that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which had been inadvertently omitted during an earlier payment exercise, are now being processed alongside Batch 9.
He expressed optimism that beneficiaries would begin receiving the payments once processing is completed, adding that the government was also working to resolve issues relating to the Peculiar Allowance and other outstanding labour matters in collaboration with relevant MDAs.
Providing an update on the payment process, Director of Cash Management at the ministry, Christiana Osho, said reconciliation for the outstanding wage award had been completed and that the payment release was at its final stage.
She explained that once the funds are released, eligible public servants would begin receiving the outstanding wage award, while processing of promotion arrears would continue according to the approved schedule.
