By Our Reporter
The Federal Government has assured federal public servants that payment of the outstanding wage award will commence before the middle of August, while promotion arrears are also being processed as part of efforts to fulfil commitments made to workers.
The assurance was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, during a meeting with the leadership of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Trade Side, led by its National President, Kabiru Minjibir.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Ministry of Finance’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Efe Ovuakporie, the minister said the government had already begun addressing many of the concerns raised by organised labour even before receiving its formal communication.
Oyedele reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to resolving legitimate labour issues through dialogue and timely implementation of agreements.
“When government makes commitments, it delivers. We are not in the habit of making promises that cannot be fulfilled. Where there are outstanding issues, we will provide realistic timelines and ensure they are implemented,” he said.
The minister disclosed that approvals required for the payment of the outstanding wage award were in the final stages, expressing confidence that eligible public servants would begin receiving the payments before the middle of August.
He also assured workers that outstanding promotion arrears were receiving attention, with pending batches being processed in accordance with established procedures.
Oyedele directed relevant officials to review documents submitted by the JPSNC, liaise with the appropriate Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and fast-track action on unresolved labour matters requiring government intervention.
While acknowledging concerns over delays in implementing some agreements, he said the government would continue to strengthen trust through transparency, regular consultations and prompt action.
Earlier, JPSNC President Kabiru Minjibir commended the minister for engaging with the union and urged the government to expedite the payment of the wage award, promotion arrears, salary relativity issues affecting health workers and other outstanding entitlements.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, reiterated the ministry’s commitment to working with organised labour to ensure approved workers’ benefits are processed without unnecessary delays.
Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammed Danjuma, disclosed that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which were omitted during an earlier payment exercise, are now being processed alongside Batch 9.
He added that the government was also working with relevant MDAs to resolve issues relating to the Peculiar Allowance and other pending labour concerns.
The Director of the Cash Management Department, Christiana Osho, said reconciliation of the outstanding wage award had been completed and that the release of funds was at the final stage.
She noted that payment would begin immediately after the funds were released, while the processing of promotion arrears would continue according to the approved schedule.
Both the Federal Government and the JPSNC reaffirmed their commitment to sustained dialogue and collaboration to ensure the timely resolution of outstanding labour issues and maintain industrial harmony across the federal public service.