The Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Festus Keyamo, says the Federal Government can afford pay rise for workers across the country.
Keyamo therefore noted that the last-minute move by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to introduce a pay rise for the 144,766 federal civil servants under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure cannot be described as unreasonable.
“The new package for workers cannot be unreasonable under our present circumstances. In fact, Nigerian workers deserve more. The issue is the funding. I think when the new government removes subsidy and explores some others means to fund our budgets, the government can afford it,” he told newsmen
This is a reaction to the criticisms following the announcement of the peculiar allowance for civil servants.
Workers under the CONPSS were paid peculiar allowances alongside their salaries for the month of April with arrears of January to March 2023 paid alongside.
Earlier, the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, explained that the government introduced the allowance for civil servants in view of the current economic reality, and it is meant to help government workers to cushion the effects of rising inflation, the rising cost of living, hikes in transportation fare, housing and electricity tariffs.
