By Ayodele Oni
The Federal Government has commenced the payment of the second tranche of the N35,000 wage award arrears to civil servants, reaffirming its commitment to cushioning the economic impact of recent policy reforms on federal employees.
In a statement released on Friday in Abuja, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) confirmed the disbursement, noting that it forms part of the palliative wage intervention introduced after the removal of fuel subsidies.
Director of Press and Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, explained that the government had earlier paid one month out of the five-month arrears owed under the wage award scheme. With the current payment, only three months remain outstanding.
The N35,000 monthly wage award was introduced as a temporary measure to ease the financial burden on public servants following the spike in living costs triggered by subsidy removal and other economic reforms.
It was a product of negotiations between the Federal Government and organised labour to forestall industrial unrest.
Amid speculation that the government had abandoned the scheme, the OAGF clarified that payments are being made in phases, and the administration remains fully committed to honouring its pledge.
“The Federal Government has not reneged on its obligation. The wage award arrears will continue to be paid in instalments of N35,000 per month until the outstanding balance is completely settled,” the statement assured.
The renewed payment is expected to calm rising tensions among labour unions, which have recently intensified demands for salary adjustments in the face of soaring inflation and economic hardship.
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