AGF office short-changes Nigerian workers with salary cuts

DDM News

The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) has accused the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) of withholding payments owed to federal government employees in Nigeria.

According to the council, workers have not received their full entitlements, including the minimum wage, 35% and 25% salary increments, wage awards, and arrears.

In a statement titled Payment of Six Months Arrears of N35,000 Wage Award, JNPSNC’s National Secretary, Comrade Olowoyo Gbenga, detailed the alleged discrepancies.

Diaspora digital media (DDM) gathered that the council raised concerns after a press release from the AGF’s office on March 7, 2025, revealed irregular salary payments for federal workers in January and February 2025.

JNPSNC’s leadership examined salary payments for October, November, and December 2024, scrutinizing claims made by the Accountant General’s Office.

It specifically assessed the disbursement of 25% arrears from the Consequential Adjustments under the Minimum Wage Act 2024.

According to the council, findings indicated that the government used media propaganda to present misleading information about salary payments.

The council asserted that the federal government still owes several outstanding payments to its workers.

These include six months of unpaid wage awards from February to July 2024, which were supposed to end once the new minimum wage was implemented in August 2024.

The wage award payment, JNPSNC noted, is based on a directive issued by the National Salaries, Wages, and Income Commission on October 19, 2023.

Further analysis of pay slips from October to December 2024 showed that salary arrears from the minimum wage adjustment were not clearly reflected.

The council dismissed the AGF’s claim of 25% and 35% salary arrears as misleading and inconsistent with existing government circulars.

The National Salaries, Income, and Wages Commission had previously issued an official directive confirming the legitimacy of these payments.

JNPSNC criticized the AGF’s office for failing to consult the council before making claims about salary disbursements.

It argued that since official circulars had been issued to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), the AGF should have engaged the council in discussions.

Instead, the AGF’s office released a statement chastising public servants without prior dialogue with JNPSNC, the statutory body representing workers.

The council also accused the AGF’s office of short-changing workers in the disbursement of the Peculiar Allowance.

Initially set at 40% of salaries, the allowance was allegedly reduced without justification, contradicting a federal government directive issued under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

JNPSNC demanded that the AGF’s office immediately reassess salary payments and rectify all anomalies.

The council insisted that federal workers should receive their full salaries for March 2025, along with arrears for the underpaid salaries of January and February 2025.

It warned that failure to resolve these discrepancies would result in nationwide protests, including picketing the AGF’s office.

Workers, JNPSNC emphasized, would not hesitate to take necessary actions to ensure fair and just salary payments.

The council stressed that the continuous delay in payment and salary adjustments had placed significant financial strain on federal employees.

Many affected workers have struggled to meet basic needs, including rent, school fees, and medical expenses due to these irregularities.

JNPSNC also highlighted that the non-payment of these entitlements contradicted the agreements reached between the government and labor unions.

The union reiterated that the Nigerian workforce deserves fair treatment and timely payment of wages as outlined in federal labor policies.

It called on the federal government to ensure transparency in salary disbursement and avoid actions that could provoke industrial unrest.

The council urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene and address the discrepancies to prevent further grievances among public sector workers.

It also warned that continued neglect of these issues could lead to mass dissatisfaction, affecting overall productivity in the public sector.

JNPSNC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of Nigerian workers while ensuring that labor agreements are fully honored.

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