FG broke, as workers storm federal secretariat over unpaid salaries

Some aggrieved Federal Civil Servants on Monday stormed the Federal Secretariat, housing some ministers and the Office of the Head of Civil Service to the Federation, (HoCSF) demanding the release of their delayed salaries amid speculation that the Federal Government is broke.

The HoCSF, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, however said that there was no protests in her office.

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Some of the workers staged the protests under their individual Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the Federal Civil Service unions and not under the NLC or other national labour unions, which they were affiliated with.

One of the protesters said that the core ministries are lucky as they were only being owed October salaries, while many in the agencies and parastatal have two or three months backlog.

One of the aggrieved workers said, “Some of us in the agencies are suffering because they claimed we over employed so they are owing us a backlog of two to three months.

“It is a sad development because we are equally hearing that the FG is even broke and that we have exhausted our 2020 budget on personnel.”

Another said that what they were being owed was two months of September and October, but their fears are about the stories that FG may be broke.

“As for those of us in the core ministries it’s just October but our colleagues in the Agencies are going through hell,” he said.

There were fears that some MDAs in the Federal Civil Service have reportedly exhausted their 2020 personnel costs and therefore unable to pay workers salaries.

It was learnt that funds meant for personnel costs are domiciled in accounts overseen by the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) department in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF).

However, the HoCSF, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, who spoke through her Director, Information, OHCSF, Mrs. Olawunmi Ogunmosunle, told newsmen that there was no protest in the HoS Office.

“Secondly let me explain the delay in payment of salaries for October. Enough provision was made for salaries for the year 2020 based on past provisions. Some percentage allowance was also set aside to take care of salary increase,” Ogunmosunle said.

According to her, the provision made based on previous salary has been exhausted.

She said, “Budget Office has therefore called on each MDA to work out what is needed to take care of the increase for the money to be paid from what has set aside. The committee is working on it. It is expected that it will be concluded this week and salaries will be paid.”