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FG stops N35,000 award payment to workers, Labour fumes
The organised Labour and the Federal Government are on a collision course over the government’s failure to sustain the payment of N35,000 wage award to workers.
Workers in the Federal Civil Service, in separate interviews with our correspondent on Monday, noted that the Federal Government only paid N35,000 wage award for September.
Following the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu on his assumption of office, the Federal Government agreed to pay N35,000 to each of its workers to reduce the hardship caused by the subsidy removal.
The government, in a memo signed by the Chairman, National Salaries Wages and Income Commission, Ekpo Nta, stated that the payment of the wage award would begin to take effect from September 1, 2023.
However findings by our correspondent indicated that the government only paid the wage award for September.
A senior civil servant in one of the core ministries, departments and agencies said, “The wage award was only paid once and I assume that was the one for September. Since then, we have not received another. We all are confused as there has been no official communication from the government as regards the matter. We are all confused at the moment.”
Another civil servant, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said, “What you heard is true. We have not received anything else other than the initial wage award which was paid. The government cannot continue to let the citizens suffer. Our takehome salaries cannot even take us home any longer at this point.”
Also speaking with our correspondent, a civil servant in one of the Federal Government-owned schools in Abuja noted that the workers were only paid the wage award for one month.
“We only received for one month which I assume was for September. Though the peculiar allowance introduced by the former administration is still being paid alongside our salaries, we have not received any such thing as a wage award. The government needs to stop playing games with our emotions.”
The Head of information at the Nigeria Labour Congress, Benson Upah, in an interview with our correspondent said, “This betrays the government’s dishonorable intentions and is completely unacceptable.”
When asked if the NLC would take action, he said, “Certainly, the congress will do something about this but what it will do will be dependent on the appropriate organs of the congress. On communication with the government, sure, we will. It usually precedes our actions.”
But the spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Monday allayed fears of civil servants. Mokwa noted that plans were ongoing to ensure that civil servants receive their wage awards.
“The process is ongoing. They will be paid. The process to pay the wage awards has commenced.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has budgeted N1tn for minimum wage adjustments, promotion arrears and severance benefits for civil servants, an analysis of the 2024 appropriation budget released by the Budget Office of the Federation has revealed.
This is as the head of information of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Upah further explained to our correspondent that the congress would kick against any form of imposition of a new minimum wage by the Federal Government.
Upah told The PUNCH in Abuja that negotiations had yet to commence, but he expressed optimism that talks on the new minimum wage would start soon.
“No, not yet but soon, I suppose,” Upah said when asked if the congress had received notice for the commencement of negotiations surrounding the new minimum wage.
Upah said, “ The national minimum wage law is a product of collective negotiation by all the critical stakeholders, workers, employers (plus private sector), and government. It cannot be fixed by fiat by any stakeholder. Thus, any unilateral action by any party will not only be presumptuous but contemptuous and injurious to other parties and will certainly be at variance with the law and principles governing this variant of minimum wage-setting procedure.” (PUNCH)
A Civil society organization, The Defence for Democracy, has criticized the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for clearing former minister of Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, to contest the primaries for the forthcoming governorship elections in Enugu State despite being under investigation over alleged forged credentials.
Nnaji resigned from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet over allegations of forgery and is currently being investigated by relevant authorities.
In a statement issued by the National President of the organisation Dr. Emeka Nwachukwu, and made available to journalists, the organisation questioned the integrity of the entire screening and accused the party of working in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The organisation said the APC will have sufficient grounds to fast-track accelerated hearing of the forgery case and eventually upturn any victory in the name of the former minister should he win.
The group stressed that “leadership must be built on trust, integrity, and credibility. The people of Enugu State deserve leaders whose records can withstand public scrutiny without fear or controversy.”
The organisation emphasized that while the allegations are not yet proven before a competent court of law, the PDP has a moral responsibility to raise the red flag on the former minister, “Because we are all in this country, and we know that in an event that this former minister wins, there will be an accelerated hearing that will hand over that victory to the APC.
“We believe firmly that Enugu deserves honest leadership, grassroots connection, and a leader who understands the pains of the people, and there are many such people.
“From our findings there are people who represent a great future, and as an organization, we stand for good governance, and when our findings throw up people of impeccable character, we naturally step in to ensure that they excel.
“We therefore find it strange that people can move from controversy to ambition without addressing the questions hanging over their names.”
The organisation called on the aspirant to immediately clear his name before throwing himself into the race, stressing that the allegations and public reports surrounding his academic credentials are too weighty to be ignored.
The organisation called on the National Secretariat of the PDP to immediately intervene and save the party the embarrassment, stressing that “We are watching events in Enugu and other parts of the country, and we would have issued this statement to congratulate the Enugu state chapter of the party if it screened out the former minister, because there is a moral burden there which is far beyond what the courts might eventually pronounce.”
Popular celebrity businessman Pascal Okechukwu, known as Cubana Chief Priest, has lost his bid to secure the House of Representatives ticket of the All Progressives Congress for the Orsu/Orlu/Oru East Federal Constituency of Imo State.
The socialite, who currently serves as the Imo State Coordinator of the City Boys Movement, had sought to represent the constituency in the House of Representatives.
In February this year, Cubana Chief Priest declared his entry into politics, calling for a new culture of clean, issue-based political engagement driven by Nigerian youths.
Following the outcome of the primary election, reactions flooded social media, with several users mocking his defeat and suggesting he may have underestimated the complexities and competitiveness of Nigerian politics.
Reacting to Cubana Chief Priest’s defeat, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Delta State Governor, Ossai Ovie Success, criticised those ridiculing him online.
“Why are people mocking Cubana Chief Priest? Not nice… it’s ok to try and try again.
“He lost an election and so what? I am disappointed,” he posted on his Facebook page on Saturday.
Meanwhile, details of the final vote count and the candidate who emerged victorious were still being awaited at the time of filing this report Saturday evening, May 16, 2026.
United States and Nigerian forces Friday killed a senior ISIS commander, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, believed to be the second most dreaded terrorist in the world.
US President Donald Trump broke the news in a Truth Social post late Friday night.
“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” Trump said.
“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.
“He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.
“Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation. GOD BLESS AMERICA! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
This is not the first strike Trump has ordered on terrorists in Nigeria, who he has accused of persecuting Christians in the West African country.
In December, Trump said he had directed a “powerful and deadly strike against ISIS” in northwestern Nigeria, who he said had been killing innocent Christians.”
See Trump’s full statement on Truth Social media below
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