In a scathing rebuke, labour unions castigated the Federal Government for reducing the supplementary budgetary allocation for wage awards to federal civil servants by N100bn. This move, not aligned with the earlier agreement, sparked concerns and warnings from the unions.
Data extracted from the Revised 2023 Supplementary Budget revealed a controversial reallocation, including the replacement of the N5bn presidential yacht votes with Navy barges. The defence budget surged from N476.54bn to N546.21bn, with an additional N20bn designated for capital supplementation for the National Intelligence Agency.
The recently approved N2.1tn 2023 Supplementary Budget faced controversy, leading to amendments by the National Assembly due to extravagant items.
Initially estimated at around N210bn, the approved document showed a reduction in the four-month wage award to approximately N110bn.
Additionally, the Ministry of Defence witnessed a boost in its budget from N476.54bn to N546.21bn, reflecting an extra allocation of N69.67bn. Notably, the Nigerian Navy, previously entangled in the contentious N5.095bn for a presidential yacht, received an additional N25bn. The presidential yacht was substituted with a self-propelled barge costing N5.095bn.
Allocations to the Defence Intelligence Agency increased by N30bn, reaching a total of N47.04bn. The Office of the National Security Adviser saw a rise of N20.3bn, reaching N50.02bn.
Despite the controversy, the purchase of official vehicles for the First Lady’s office valued at N1.5bn remained in the budget. The education loan fund also witnessed an increase to N10bn from the initial N5.5bn.
The reason behind the reduction in wage award allocation remains unclear. The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress issued warnings of resistance against such actions.
Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Chris Onyeka, emphasized the need for the government to uphold the agreed-upon wage award of N35,000 for all federal workers.
In response, the Head of Information at NLC, Benson Upah, expressed disappointment, citing inconsistency with the government’s previous behavior.
The Trade Union Congress cautioned the government against playing games with the agreed-upon wage award for Nigerian workers. The National Deputy President, TUC, Tommy Etim, emphasized the binding nature of the agreement, which was deposited in court.
Efforts to obtain clarification from the Presidency on the rationale behind the reduced award were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
Despite assurances by President Bola Tinubu for a provisional wage increase of N25,000 for low-grade workers in the federal civil service, the agreements reached with labour unions now face uncertainty.
With inflation escalating in Nigeria, workers are urging the Federal Government to provide fair compensation amid plans to review the minimum wage. Rising prices of goods and increasing transport fares are taking a toll on workers’ finances, prompting concerns about the economic impact on their purchasing power. Workers await further clarity on the situation as the government’s decisions come under scrutiny.
By Osaiyekemwen Osarumwense
