The Federal Government will begin paying the scheduled raise in civil officials’ salaries by the end of this month (April), unless there is a last-minute change in plans, The PUNCH can report.
Major General Muhammadu Buhari, retd, is likely to provide his final approval for disburesement at any time.
If the idea is approved, the rise will take effect around two months after the scheduled June date for the termination of the gasoline subsidy.
Officials from the Federal Government informed The PUNCH exclusively that the new pay hike, dubbed the consequential allowance, would result in a 40% increase in government workers’ present compensation.
Olajide Oshundun, Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Labour and Employment, revealed exclusively to The PUNCH that the Federal Government may begin paying the 40% pay increase by the end of April this year, adding that the three months arrears of January, February, and March would be paid at a later date.
Oshundun, on the other hand, said he couldn’t confirm whether the proposal by the government committee tasked with the assignment had been approved by the President.
“Consequential allowance Salaries for civil servants from level 1 to level 17 will be increased by 40%,” he stated.
“What we now receive is referred to as the consolidated public service salary structure; it is a combination of basic and all allowances.” As a result, the raise will be 40% of what a public servant is currently earning.
“They will begin paying at the end of this month (April), with arrears from January, February, and March being paid later.” The pay rise will take effect in January 2023. That is the suggestion made by the committee formed to look into civil servant wage adjustments, although I’m not sure if the President has signed it yet.”
Last month, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said that the Federal Government has authorized a salary increase for the country’s civil servants.
He also stated that the wage increase was included in the 2023 budget and that it will take effect on January 1, 2023.
Ngige termed the wage increase as a strange provision for civil officials in light of the current economic reality, and it is intended to help government workers cushion the effects of growing inflation, rising cost of living, and increases in transportation, housing, and power bills.
According to the PUNCH, Nigeria’s headline inflation rose to 22.04 percent year on year in March, the highest rate since September 2005.
According to National Bureau of Statistics statistics, the current increase in inflation rate is the third straight increase this year, increasing by 0.13 percentage point when compared to the headline inflation rate in February 2023.