Amid hardship and starvation in the country, Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has cut down salaries and benefits of employees in the nation’s capital, Abuja for October.
Some employees stated that the budget and personnel cost vote had run out accusing the FCT Administration (FCTA) of reducing the majority of their wages.
This was disclosed by the employees in a letter dated October 27 and signed by Enojo Sunday, the secretary, and Muyideen Oluwakorede, the president of JUAC.
“This is to inform the entire staff of FCTA FCDA that management met with JUAC earlier this week and has informed JUAC to sensitize all staff of its inability to pay the salary of all FCTA staff in the month of October 2023.
“This is due to the fact that the FCTA budget and personnel cost vote have been exhausted because of the payment of the 40% peculiar allowance to the staff of FCTA that started sometime in this year 2023, the payment of hazard allowance in some DSAs, and so many other allowances not budgeted for.
“In view of the above, JUAC insisted that instead of not paying salary at all in October, management should handle the matter in this manner. That the October 2023 salary be paid without the peculiar allowance, which is what the current personnel cost vote can carry.
That between now and November 2023, arrangements will be made to transfer funds from other votes to beef up the personnel cost vote to enable management to pay the November salary in full,” the memo read.
While speaking with SaharaReporters, some affected workers called Wike an inconsiderate person.
“The Minister, Wike, could not consider the hardship in the country, talk-less of adding up to the N35,000 agreed upon by the president, but went ahead to cut down the workers’ October salaries, claiming there was no money.
“Most of us are living in perpetual debt; we just pay the debt and, at the same time, collect food and other items on credit.
“Life is now biting hard on us as transportation fares have gone up and the purchasing power of normal earnings dwindles amid the biting inflation occasioned by the continued fall of the naira at the exchange market, yet these peanuts we are getting have again been slashed by the Minister,” one of the affected workers told SaharaReporters