Federal Workers Demand Payment of Three-Month Wage Award, Promotion Arrears from Tinubu Govt

Federal workers under the Federal Workers Forum (FWF) have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pay the outstanding three-month wage award and clear the backlog of promotion arrears owed to civil servants.

The appeal was made in a statement signed by the forum’s National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, and made available to journalists on Wednesday.

Emelieze criticised the federal government for failing to fulfil its promise of paying the ₦35,000 wage award announced last year to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal. He described the inconsistent and delayed payments as evidence of the government’s poor treatment of its workforce.

“The refusal of the federal government to pay the outstanding three months wage award as promised by the Accountant General of the Federation shows how the government treats its workers,” Emelieze said.

He recalled that the wage award was only implemented after several appeals and pressure from organised labour, adding that many federal workers are still owed promotion arrears dating back over ten years.

The FWF coordinator also described the current ₦70,000 minimum wage as a “slave wage,” urging the government to introduce a cost of living allowance (COLA) equivalent to 30% of workers’ salaries to reflect current economic realities.

“We call for the immediate payment of the outstanding wage award and the clearance of all promotion arrears. The government must also work out a cost of living allowance for federal workers to ease the hardship caused by inflation and currency devaluation,” he added.

The forum’s statement comes amid growing concerns among public servants about delayed entitlements and the rising cost of living across the country.