Some federal government workers in Nigeria have raised concerns over receiving what they described as “half salary” for January, sparking widespread complaints across various ministries and agencies.
The Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) has, however, assured workers that the issue is being addressed, confirming that a letter has been sent to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to rectify the situation.
An assistant director in the federal civil service, who spoke to Vanguard, revealed that he received N360,000 in January, significantly lower than the N510,000 he was paid in December. “We were shortchanged, many of my colleagues were paid half salary. I hope this is not deliberate. The new minimum wage did not even reflect on the payment slip,” he lamented.
Responding to the concerns, JPSNC Chairman Benjamin Anthony attributed the issue to a mix-up within the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
“The issue with the January salary was due to an error from the IPPIS. We have written to the Head of Service, and she has assured us that they are working to correct it. The IPPIS has confirmed the mistake, and adjustments will be made,” Anthony stated.
He further explained that the peculiar allowance of N40,000, which was negotiated and approved for federal workers, was inadvertently removed from the payroll. “The computer system mistakenly removed the peculiar allowance, and that is the root of the problem. It will be reinstated and paid,” he assured.
Anthony urged affected workers to channel their complaints through their respective industrial unions so that proper documentation can be submitted to the government for prompt action.
“There is no need for panic. We have requested industrial unions to compile the names of affected workers and forward them to us. Once we have the data, we will ensure the government corrects the discrepancies,” he added.
While calling for calm, the labour leader assured that the 25% salary review and minimum wage adjustments had already been factored into workers’ salaries, with payments ongoing. However, affected employees are encouraged to report any further discrepancies to facilitate quick resolution.
