Economic Hardship: Frustration Mounts as 90 MDAs Await January Paychecks

• Federal civil servants in Nigeria have expressed frustration over the non-payment of their January salaries.
• According to reports, at least 90 federal government agency workers have yet to be paid their January salaries.
• It was gathered that the delay in payment of salaries was due to technical challenges of the federal government's digital payment system.

Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro

FCT, Abuja - Employees in approximately 90 government agencies have not yet been paid their salaries for January.

As reported by Daily Trust, the affected agencies are the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Ministry of Education, the National Population Commission, the News Agency of Nigeria, and the Voice of Nigeria.

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Workers expressed frustration, stating that the delay in receiving their January salaries echoes a similar experience with their December 2023 salaries, which they believe should have been avoided.

One of the workers said:

“As I am talking to you, myself and three of my colleagues have not been paid. The situation is not fair not with the current situation of the daily increment of prices of food items and other things in the country.”

Some individuals claimed that the government's failure to pay their salaries promptly suggested a lack of concern for the hardships faced by the public.

FG gives reason for delay in payment

As reported by Premium Times, the delay in December's salary was reportedly due to technical challenges with the IPPIS system.

Similarly, the delay in January's salary was attributed to a technical issue with the GIFMIS platform, according to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

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The federal government has implemented GIFMIS, an IT-centered system designed to streamline budget management and accounting processes.

This move aims to boost accountability and transparency in how ministries and agencies handle public expenditures.

A memo issued on January 31 by the bursary department of the National Mathematics Centre in Abuja, signed by the acting bursar Pius Ukwah, addressed to all staff, mentions a delay in the payment of January 2024 salaries, stating that they will not be disbursed within the usual timeframe.

The memo reads:

“As of today, the OAGF is still working on finalising the 2024 appropriation on the GIFMIS platform and as a result, the personnel warrant for January is yet to be released”.

The memo addressed to the Director/CEO and Registrar and distributed across all notice boards elaborated that the delay affects the centre and all MDAs.

It also expressed regret for any inconvenience caused by this delay.

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Economic hardship: Sanusi backs Tinubu

Meanwhile, former Emir of Kano state, Muhammadu Sanusi, has supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu amidst Nigeria's economic challenges.

Sanusi pointed out that Tinubu has inherited financial burdens from the prior administration under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

He urged Nigerians to endure these tough times and called on those capable of aiding the marginalised to come forward and lend a hand.

Source: Legit.ng