Civil servants under the Federal Government’s employment face a bleak Christmas as delayed salary payments for December 2024 disrupt festive plans. This development follows similar delays in November salaries, which were only disbursed in the second week of December.
It was revealed that the delays stemmed from issues tied to the migration to a new payment platform and shortfalls in allocations to certain ministries and agencies. Multiple sources within the civil service cited the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation as responsible for the disruption.
Speaking on the matter, a civil servant who requested anonymity said, “To be very honest, I am not traveling for the holidays this year because I don’t have the money. Our November salaries came very late, and by the time we were paid, many of us were already in debt. We thought December would be different, but it’s worse.”
Another civil servant expressed similar frustration: “This is not shocking after what happened in November. Some of us tried to prepare ahead, but it’s still not enough. Food prices are high, and buying clothes for the kids has been a struggle. Getting paid now will really help.”
An Assistant Director from a ministry outside Abuja lamented the situation, saying, “This delay is unacceptable. It’s Christmas, and some of us can’t even afford basic items like meat, let alone chicken for our families. The government needs to prioritize our welfare.”
In response to the grievances, Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant General, explained that the delays were caused by financial shortfalls and adjustments linked to the implementation of the new minimum wage.
“They have started paying since yesterday,” Mokwa assured. “Last month, some ministries experienced shortfalls due to the implementation of the new minimum wage, but the government has addressed this and augmented the payments. Salaries have been disbursed, and it now depends on individual banks to credit accounts.”
The Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, also confirmed during an earlier event that salary payments had been processed.
This issue comes months after President Bola Tinubu approved a minimum wage increase from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 in July 2024. However, the approved budget for minimum wage and salary adjustments for 2024 was slashed by the National Assembly, leaving ministries grappling with funding constraints.
In the proposed 2025 budget, ₦845.28 billion has been allocated for minimum wage adjustments. However, the government’s recurrent expenditure on salaries and pensions is set to rise significantly, with personnel costs alone expected to reach ₦7.54 trillion in 2025—an increase of ₦2.75 trillion from 2024.
Despite these financial commitments, federal workers remain at the receiving end of delayed payments, raising questions about the government’s capacity to balance rising personnel costs with efficient service delivery.
