Only 144,766 federal employees in the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure will benefit from the newly introduced 40% allowance. This means that other workers who are employed by the federal government but work on a different pay scale will not benefit. For instance, members of universities covered by the Unified University Salary and doctors covered by the Unified Medical Salary will not benefit. They will not benefit from the salary scheme as they are covered by a scheme completely different from this. Their salary structures are also quite peculiar to their fields.
Other categories of federal employees who do not benefit from special benefits include nurses, non-university employees, police, and military personnel. This is contained in a memo released on Saturday. The National Salary and Wages Commission, headed by Ekpo Nta, found that under the CONPSS salary structure, only 144,766 federal civil servants were paid.
Ekpo said in a memo addressed to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, which was sighted by our correspondent on Saturday-
“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 Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed that the Federal Government approved the raise for civil servants. He added that the pay rise had been included in the 2023 budget. Further noting that it would take effect from January 1, 2023.
Ngige described the pay raise as a peculiar allowance for civil servants in view of the current economic reality. It was meant to help government workers cushion the effects of rising inflation. As well as the rising cost of living, and hikes in transportation, housing and electricity tariffs.
cc: Punch Ng
