“Worst CHANGE End Of Year Gift Ever” – Workers Groan As Nigerian Govt Fails To Pay December Salary

Hours to the Christmas, civil servants are yet to receive their December salaries, findings shows, many civil servants who pleaded for anonymity says that they had not received their salaries.

The delay in salary payment affects staff of about 14 ministries alleged to have misused the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) system.

It is also learnt that the wrong action on the IPPIS system, which is programmed to reject irregular procedures, had locked the MDAs in question out of the system.

NewsWireNGR findings however reveals that workers at the Federal Secretariate Abuja, the National Assembly complex and most Departments and Agencies weren’t pleased that the Nigerian government led by Muhammadu Buhari closed the year without their pay.

“We are even tired of getting angry” says a civil servant in an interview with NewsWireNGR at the third arms zone in Abuja..

Mrs Zakaria Mariam continued, where do we even start from? Is it the petroleum scarcity? or the fact that the exchange rates has gone so high that even the rice you buy in the market no longer sells for same price?”.

“The President was at the National Assembly apologising, but i tell you his apology means nothing to my kids needing food and clothes for this festive season”, She concluded.

Another civil servants who doesnt want his name mentioned said, “I work at the National Assembly with a major principal officer, “we still havent been paid, so when you ask how one is celebrating this holiday, it is the worst CHANGE gift ever experienced in years”.

“I am a Buhari supporter but ive had to think it over again having gone through pains with my family members over the last few months, if you even have the money to buy Petrol it makes sense, but I can’t even afford anything, i’ve had to park my car at home and plead with colleagues to drive me to work and home everyday”. He added.

A worker with the Federal Minister of Finance said they had not received payment alert as at yesterday night.

Sources at the finance ministry yesterday tells DailyTrust the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had directed that all workers should be paid salaries before the Christmas break.

A statement clarifying the status of the payment of the December 2014 salaries of federal civil servants, issued on Monday by the spokesperson of the Minister of Finance, Paul C Nwabuikwu, said already salaries were being processed since Friday.

“Also being processed are the salaries of the staff of 14 MDAs where there has been a misuse of the salary budgets to pay promotion arrears and other allowances,” the statement said.

“We have taken action to rectify the problem and the salary arrears of the staff of the affected MDAs will be paid along with those of their colleagues in other agencies.”

IPPIS system was set up to ensure the smooth running of payment processes.

The Federal Ministry of Finance urged all MDAs to desist from irregular actions which hamper the operation of the IPPIS system leading to payment delays and suffering for civil servants.

Banks are working for half day today (Wednesday) due to the Christmas break and Maulud holidays for thursday.