The Nigerian government’s new 40% peculiar allowance will only apply to the 144,766 federal civil officials covered by the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure.
This suggests that other employees who work for the Federal Government but are paid differently won’t gain anything.
For example, employees of the Federal Government who work at universities and who are paid under the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure and the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale, respectively, will not gain from the pay increase.
In addition nurses, non-academic workers in higher institutions, police officers, and members of the armed forces, additional categories of government employees will not be eligible for the special allowance.
Only 144,766 employees of the federal civil service would receive compensation under the CONPSS salary system.
This was made clear in a memo from the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission headed by Ekpo Nta that our correspondent was able to secure on Saturday.
The Budget MemoÂ
The memo was addressed to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.
“I refer to my letter No. SWC/S/04/S,651/11/271 dated 24th of February, 2023 and the conclusions of the 11th meeting of the Presidential Committee on Salaries held on 7th of March, 2023 on the above-mentioned subject and convey approval for the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to implement the peculiar allowance attached herewith for staff on the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure”.
“This approval takes effect from 1st of January, 2023 and the estimated sum of seventy nine billion, three hundred and seventy-three million, three hundred and forty thousand, nine hundred and fifty-nine Naira (N79,373,340,959.00) per annum required to implement it for the 144,766 staff on CONPSS will be funded from the treasury.
“The commission will periodically monitor the implementation of this approval through salary inspections,” the memo said.
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Chris Ngige, the minister of Labour and Employment, had announced that the federal government approved a salary increase for the nation’s civil officials.
Consequences Of Growing Inflation
He continued by saying that the wage increase had been planned for in the 2023 budget and that it would go into effect on January 1, 2023.
In light of the current economic climate, Ngige defined the wage increase as a special provision for civil officials.
It was intended to help government employees fend off the consequences of growing inflation, rising living expenses, and increases in transportation, housing, and power rates.
The Academics Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU), however, objected to its members being left out of the payment of the odd allowance.
The union’s national president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, accused the administration of trying to undermine the system.
He said that ASUU would investigate the situation and soon announce its position.
