Yemi Obafemi
The president of Trade Union Congress Festus Osifo, has warned all the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, to “tighten their belt in assuaging the plight of workers” due to the removal of fuel subsidy to avoid a fresh crisis in the country.
The warning came as the federal government withheld ₦35,000 wage award to be paid to the Civil servant as agreed during a meeting that was held following the removal of fuel subsidy.
The union boss called on the federal government to, with immediate effect pay the ₦35,000 wage award to the bank accounts of the federal civil servants without excuses.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at a press briefing shortly after the congress’ emergency National Executive Council meeting, Osifo said the members in the federal civil service have not been paid the ₦35,000 wage award since October adding that adding that only a few workers had been paid for the second time.
He said, “On the issue of the wage award, it is on record that the payment has been made just once for September, but as it is now, our members in the federal civil service have not been paid the ₦35,000 wage award since October. “We wish to call on the government to fastrack all the payments now. We learnt that they’re putting some things in place to ensure the payment, but people are not ready to listen to excuses.
“We demand that they immediately pay this ₦35,000 wage award to the bank accounts of the federal civil servants without excuses.
“We want the government to tighten their belts, governments at all levels – the Federal Government, the state and local governments because a situation where they are asking Nigerians to keep tightening their belt and they (government officials) are living in affluence is not acceptable.”
