Civil servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Trade Union Side, have renewed their demand for the implementation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and payment of outstanding promotion arrears, warning that continued delay is fuelling restiveness in the public service.
The workers, in a letter to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, urged the Federal Government to urgently implement the allowance and settle promotion arrears owed batches seven and nine.
They warned that government should act promptly to prevent the situation from escalating, adding, “A stitch in time saves nine.”
The letter, signed by the council’s National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga, acknowledged the recent payment of two months’ outstanding wage award by the Federal Government.
The council recalled that it had earlier written to Oyedele on July 9, 2026, over the outstanding workers’ demands, following which the minister met with its leadership on August 5.
Commending the minister for acting on the resolutions reached at the meeting, the council said the payment of the outstanding wage award had been completed within the agreed timeline.
It said the payment was made before August 15, 2026, describing the development as an appreciable intervention.
However, the workers said the implementation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance remained unresolved.
The council said the allowance was contained in a circular issued and signed by the then Executive Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Eyo Nta, with implementation taking effect from May 1, 2026.
The workers appealed to Oyedele to expedite implementation of the circular without further administrative delays.
“The essence of this letter is to once again invite your office to the urgent need to revisit this issue and accelerate the implementation of the circular without any administrative red-tape blockade,” the council stated.
The JNPSNC also dismissed financial constraints as a reason for delaying the allowance, insisting that government had the resources to implement the circular.
On promotion arrears, the council identified payments for batches seven and nine as another major outstanding demand, saying the payments were still “hanging in the process of payment.”
The workers consequently demanded the immediate implementation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and payment of the outstanding promotion arrears.
While seeking to avoid another confrontation with the government, the council urged the minister to act before workers’ dissatisfaction escalated.
The council said it was “very expedient and desirable” for government to implement the allowance without issuing an ultimatum.
It also expressed confidence in the understanding reached during its August meeting with the minister.
However, the council warned that dissatisfaction was already building among public servants.
“There is no doubting the fact that potential spontaneous reactions are building up among workers due to restiveness on this subject matter in the public service among public servants,” it said.
The latest demand comes after the Federal Government cleared two months of outstanding wage awards, leaving the 40 per cent allowance and promotion arrears as unresolved issues highlighted by the workers.
