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Civil servants call for review of emoluments

By Gloria Ehiaghe
15 November 2018   |   3:20 am
Civil servants across the country have sought upward review of their wage. They argued that the core civil service, which is the engine room of Government, is regrettably the least paid in the public service, since other segments have enjoyed increase in emoluments over the years.   Civil servants are notably the technocrats and skilled…

Federal Ministry of Labour, lead by Dr Chris Ngige.

Civil servants across the country have sought upward review of their wage.

They argued that the core civil service, which is the engine room of Government, is regrettably the least paid in the public service, since other segments have enjoyed increase in emoluments over the years.  

Civil servants are notably the technocrats and skilled personnel in government establishment, while the public servants are appointees engaged to do specific jobs.

They argued that even though civil servants, possess the same qualifications and experience as their counterparts in parastatals and agencies, the salaries of these other employees are, in most cases, three times more than those of the officers in the core ministries.

Speaking at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) recently, its President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama, disclosed that the union has presented a Memorandum on Demand for Upward Wage Review in the Civil Service to the Federal Government to redress the situation.

He advised that negotiation on the memorandum should therefore commence in earnest to ensure that civil servants are adequately catered for and compensated for the strategic role they play in nation-building. 

Kaigama also identified some of the obstacles faced by retirees in respect of not getting their entitlements on time, while regular monthly pension are still subsisting almost 14 years after the 2004 Pension Act became operational.

He threatened that the union would be compelled to begin to consider other trade actions to seek redress. 

He said: “Cases of officers who retired from the public service but have not been paid their initial lump sum let alone their monthly pension stipends two years after exiting from service abound.

“It is indeed worrisome that patriotic citizens, who have served their fatherland meritoriously for 35 years or attained the retirement age of 60 years while in service cannot be paid their entitlements to enable them keep body and soul together, let alone support their dependants.”

On illegal appointment and extension of tenure of permanent secretaries, the union advised they quietly retire in the interest of industrial peace and harmony in the public service.

He added that: “On no account should people be recruited from outside the Civil Service as Permanent Secretaries because the practice does not only block the chances of Senior Civil Servants from reaching the peak of their career, but also demoralises them.”

In a keynote address by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello, urged the workers to consider ways they could inspire a revolution in the performance level of its personnel.

As the 2019 general elections draw near, Bello, who was represented by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Chinyeaka Ohaa, called on civil servants to hold the fort, especially, when tempers rise with hate speeches and incendiary rhetoric.

Also, a goodwill message by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, represented by a personnel in the ministry, Florence Chukwuka, reaffirmed the Ministry’s desire in creating conducive environment for the maintenance of industrial peace and harmony in the workplaces, which is a catalyst for socio-economic development.

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