FG will soon make pronouncement on salary increase for civil servants

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said the Federal Government will soon make some pronouncements on salary increase for civil and public officials.

Ngige said this while speaking to state house correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja.

He said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss issues concerning his ministry, including employment and productivity.

Asked if the issue of salary increase came up, Ngige said the presidential committee on salaries is working with the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission on the matter.

“The commission is mandated by the act establishing them to fix salaries, wages, and emoluments in not only the public service.

“So, they have the matrix to do the evaluation. They are working with the presidential committee on salaries, chaired by the finance ministry and I am the co-chair, to look at the demands of the workers. Outside this, I said discussions on that evaluation are going.”

On if a timeline has been fixed for implementation of a salary increase, Ngige said “as we enter the new year, the government will make some pronouncements in that direction,” Ngige said.

Speaking further, Ngige said 2022 has been a year of industrial disputes with the Academic Staff Union of the Universities going on strike, and threats from various unions, including the medical doctors association, demanding salary increase.

“Asking for wage increase can also be understandable because of what inflation had done in the economy and the attendant cost of living for people who have to be workers in the public sector.

“However, I’ve briefed him (Buhari). We are doing some review within the presidential committee on salaries, and discussions are ongoing.

“The doctors are discussing with the ministry of health; insurance people in the public sector discussing, and there is a general calmness.

“Hopefully, within available resources, the government can do something in the coming year,” the Minister added.