Abuja, Nigeria – Civil servants wey belong to Federal Workers Forum don write letter to the Federal Government, make dem pay the outstanding arrears wey dey concern wage awards and promotion allowances. Dem send this letter go President Bola Tinubu, Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives. No be small wahala dey ground abeg!
These workers don dey vex since the fuel subsidy waka go, as dem sabi say e don worsen their situation. Na Andrew Emelieze, the national coordinator, Itoro Obong, the national secretary, and Razaq Oseni, the publicity secretary, wey sign the letter. Dem talk say dis matter don dey serious as e don reach ten months since dem implement the new national minimum wage and compliance dey very scarce. (Na wah o!)
“We dey call on you to ensure say full implementation of the minimum wage go happen before June 30, 2025, and make dem pay the ten months’ arrears wey start from August 2024,” di letter talk. Dem still demand say make dem pay the 40 per cent peculiar allowance for June salaries and introduce Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) before June finish. Wetin dey happen for this country self?
Di group no gree dey keep quiet, as dem also talk say e no be only some people suppose dey enjoy wage awards. Dem want make all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) receive their own share sharp-sharp alongside any pending arrears wey dey ground. Dem still dey request for di long overdue promotion arrears wey go especially for judicial workers and people wey dey work for tertiary institutions and di health sector. Na dem go save lives, yet dem no fit get wetin dey owe dem?
Other things wey dem dey shout for include make dem bring back leave bonuses, 13th-month incentives, hazard allowances, and long service awards. Dem warn say make government no even think of collecting from di contributory pension fund as e no be for borrowing wahala. Di letter still get hope sey government go take action quickly, because if dem no act, we fit see dem on the road dey protest. (E go be like movie!)
Meanwhile, di Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) too don open dem mouth, ready to add dem own wahala. Dem don beg Federal Government make dem clear di outstanding seven-month arrears wey dey for 2024 salary adjustment. Dis one no fit dey joke again o! Di communique wey dem release after their meeting for Jos, Plateau State, don carry di matter come outside.
Kamal Ibrahim and Martin Egbanubi, di national president and general secretary, sign di communique wey talk say dem dey represent a whole plenty professionals including pharmacists, physiotherapists, and other health workers. Dem express serious concern say di Federal Government dey delay payment of di adjustments wey dey approved for di Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS). “We dey vex say seven months’ arrears since June to December 2023 no show yet even as di money don dey inside di 2024 budget and now dem also include am for di 2025 budget,” na wetin dem talk be dat.
Dem remind government say dem don sign agreement with JOHESU for October 29, 2024, wey lead to dem suspending strike. But na wah, government still never fulfill wetin dem agree. NUAHP and JOHESU don warn say if di government no do wetin dem suppose do, e fit lead to another strike, and dat one go bad for our health system.
Finally, dem still dey call for all levels of government make dem provide tax relief for clinical allowances like call duty, shift duty, and teaching allowances. Na only how dem go fit support health workers during dis tough time as cost of living don rise. We hope say di government go listen and act before e too late!
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