Festus Keyamo (SAN), Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has reacted to the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s last-minute pay increase for 144,766 federal civil servants.
According to Keyamo, the implementation of a pay increase for the 144,766 federal civil servants covered by the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) is not unreasonable.
Recall that the Buhari administration announced a pay increase for workers, which some see as a “trap for the incoming administration.”
The Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, previously stated that the government instituted the allowance for civil servants in light of the current economic reality, and it is intended to assist government employees in coping with the effects of rising inflation, the rising cost of living, increases in transportation fares, housing, and electricity tariffs.
Ngige also stated that workers under the CONPSS were paid unusual allowances alongside their salaries for the month of April, as well as arrears from January to March 2023.
Keyamo told The Punch on Saturday that the government can afford the pay increase if the next government eliminates subsidies and looks for other ways to fund the budgets.
The minister also stated that Nigerian workers deserve higher wages, but the issue is one of funding.
He said;
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 other means to fund our budgets, the government can afford it.