Workers Poised For Showdown Over N48bn Promotion Arrears

The civil servants might be going on strike in protestation towards the promotion arrears owed them by the Federal Government.

Civil servants in the employ of the Federal Government are poised for a showdown with their employers following the non- payment of their promotion arrears totalling
N48 billion.

As at last year, N12.3 billion was reportedly provided as virement in the 2016 budget for
the settlement of part of the arrears that was due to workers who got their promotions in 2013.

However, New Telegraph learnt that the money was not released for payment to the concerned civil servants. The workers, a
correspondent gathered, are currently mobilizing to picket the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Budget and National Planning
and the National Assembly.

A member of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), who spoke to
New Telegraph in confidence, disclosed that the salary arrears accumulated over time because every year, the Federal Civil Service conducts promotion examination and uses the outcome of the exercise to elevate staff to the next level or cadre.

According to our source, every promotion goes with a
commensurate increase in the staff emolument and are usually paid en bloc to the concerned employees.

“The trouble is that civil servants have not received any payments in respect of their 2013 promotion and salary arrears. You will
recall that during the May Day celebration, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) raised
this issue among others, but it appears that the clamour for a new minimum wage
overshadowed it.

“This is a matter for which the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation,
the Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office of the Federation had earlier resolved that the arrears would be paid. The relevant circulars were issued and part of the arrears was even included in the 2016 budget. Now
that budget cycle has elapsed, yet no payments were made to the civil servants who have been waiting for it.

“Our fear is that the Federal Government appears to be sweeping this matter under
the carpet. But we won’t allow it to go because the workers have a legitimate right to these salary arrears that came as a result
of their promotion. Every day, we see what is happening to retired civil servants; we see
them on long queues waiting to receive their pensions and gratuities. Now we are not yet retired, but we can’t even get what is due to us. Are we working for the government for free? This is unacceptable,”
he said.

New Telegraph learnt that two years ago when President Muhammadu Buhari came
into power, he promised that he was going to pay all outstanding liabilities owed civil servants. Based on that promise, a circular
was issued by the Ministry of Finance directing all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to make compilations of the
promotion and salary arrears as they affect civil servants under them.

These compilations were made and forwarded to the Budget Office of the Federation for collation and onward
transmission to the Ministry of Finance for further action.

According to investigations, the total volume of the arrears for 2013, 2014 and 2015
amounted to N48 billion, which was considered too huge to be settled in one fell swoop.