Federal civil servants across various government sectors have expressed frustration and disappointment as the Chief Bola Tinubu-led government fails to disburse December 2023 salaries before Christmas.
This delay has left numerous workers from federal ministries, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHoCSF), and other national institutions facing a sombre holiday season.
Workers revealed that the absence of their expected salaries has significantly impacted traditional celebrations, including merriments, elaborate cooking, and planned visits.
Reports indicate that only federal workers in revenue-generating agencies such as NNPC, NPA, NIMASA, NCC, CBN, and FIRS have received their December salaries, exacerbating dissatisfaction among other civil servants.
In interviews with Daily Trust, affected workers expressed dismay, citing financial hardships and the unexpected delay as reasons for their inability to partake in customary celebrations.
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One worker noted, “Despite the general misgivings about previous administrations, I cannot remember any time our December salaries were delayed.”
Despite the government’s announcement of a 50% reduction in transportation costs, many workers couldn’t take advantage of the relief due to the absence of funds.
Another civil servant stated, “With the way things are ‘tough’ in the country, we don’t even have savings. We were excited when they announced a 50 per cent discount on transportation, but sadly despite the support many people could not travel ahead of Christmas.
“How can we travel and enjoy the so called 50 per cent transport reduction, when we don’t have monies in our pockets?
An employee from the University of Abuja expressed concern about the inability to bring joy to their families during the festive season due to the salary delay.
“There is no excuse whatsoever, to say the truth. They removed the subsidy, they said they have been saving monies since June. This is over six months but we rarely get our salaries before the end of the month.
“I got my November salary in the second week of December. Now that it is the end of the year and it is the Christmas season, we thought they would pay us around the 20th or 22nd. Sadly, they did not…We only went to church, returned home and we are waiting for the public holiday to end so that we can continue with our life,” he revealed.
Others emphasized that the delay not only impacted Christmas celebrations but also raised concerns about meeting financial responsibilities in January, especially with school resumption.
Despite the challenges, a top government official assured that efforts are underway to resolve the issue swiftly and guarantee salary disbursement before the close of the day on Monday.