As soon as President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) approves the payment, federal government staff members will begin receiving their allowances in full this January. This is according to Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Chris Ngige. On Thursday, Ngige revealed this while answering questions from reporters.
Contrary to rumors that the federal government was considering raising public servants’ salaries, he claimed that the genuine picture was that the allowances for federal civil servants will be paid in full as soon as Buhari approved the payment.
The Minister alleged that in order to mitigate the effects of the nation’s current economic difficulty, the idea of providing allowances to federal civil officials was temtempered. He declared that the ministry had calculated the worker’s allowances and sent them to the President for approval.
He explained that the decision regarding worker compensation and salary increases is not one that can be made in a vacuum because any salary adjustments must first be discussed at a roundtable between the federal government and the employees’ union.
During the course of the communication, Senator Ngige took some time to praise the Buhari-led administration for building the Second Niger Bridge, the expressway connecting Enugu with Okigwe, Umuahia, Aba, and Port Harcourt, as well as for renovating and modernizing the Enugu Airport.
He cited the initiatives as some of the South-East’s development initiatives carried out under the current administration, noting that the area benefited most in terms of vital infrastructure. He said Buhari is a good-hearted person who is constantly thinking about Nigerians’ welfare, which is why “he directed all the ministers to go to their respective hometowns during the Yuletide and distribute both cash and food items to the masses as part of measures to rehabilitate the less fortunate in the society.
“Buhari is humane and kind-hearted but those who don’t know him or who are not close to him will think that he is wicked. Having worked closely under him, I can attest to the fact that he is a responsible and trustworthy man. This current administration is working very hard to finish strong and needs the support of all Nigerians at this dying minute.”
