Elections shift: FG orders payment of February salaries

The federal government yesterday ordered the immediate payment of February salaries to all federal workers to cushion the effect of elections postponement.

Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed told State House correspondents at the end of yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Saturday announced the postponement of the elections by a week, citing logistics challenges.

The minister said the directive was to ease the burden of people who want to go back and cast their vote.

“On the part of the federal government also, we decided that to make it easy for those who will want to go back to vote, salary payment started yesterday (Tuesday) as opposed to the normal 25 of every month,” he said.

He said the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), with over 50,000 members and who control almost 80 percent of the petroleum distribution network, has announced the reduction of petrol from N145 to N140 litre.

“This discount reflects the alignment of IPMAN with government and the discount is valid between the 21 of February and the 25, this year to allow those who want to go back home to vote,” he said.

The minister said the FEC was in support of President Buhari’s threat that anybody who snatches ballot box will do that at the expense of his or her life.

Responding to question on whether FEC back Buhari’s threat, “Absolutely. I mean if you want to intimidate voters to steal the mandate of the people, you should be able to face the wrath of the law.”

Buhari had during the caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, said: “I am going to warn anybody who thinks he has enough influence in his locality to lead a body of thugs to snatch boxes or to disturb the voting system, he would do it at the expense of his own life.”