A member of the panel and the Secretary-General of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) Alade Bashir Lawal, who confirmed the development in a statement, commended the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for delivering the Report on target.

He said: “We must also express gratitude to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Cement Illoh, the Chairman of the Panel, for the able manner he steered the affairs of the Committee.

“In particular, our special thanks also goes to President Muhammadu Buhari for directing the compilation of the arrears and allowances of the Federal Workers. We urge him to continue to play his fatherly role by directing the release of needed funds so that these outstanding salaries and allowances can be paid in the next few weeks in order to put the entire sordid story behind us,” the statement added.

According to the ASCSN Secretary-General, the outstanding benefits to thousands of public servants in the Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) included salary arrears, promotion arrears, 1st 28th days allowance on transfer from post, repatriation allowance and allowance for mandatory training orgnaised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) in 2010.

He recalled that the Union had written series of letters to President Buhari as President-elect and since he assumed office on 29th May 2015 as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria intimating him of the outstanding salaries and allowances following which Mr. President on 14th September 2015 through the OHCSF ordered all Federal MDAs to compile the names of affected officers within seven days.

“Members of the Committee that worked on the Salary Arrears issues are drawn mainly from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria,” he added.

The ASCSN scribe explained that the Committee had pleaded with the Presidency to accept as supplementary, the list from few other MDAs that could not meet the 7-day deadline for the submission of names of affected officers.

He added that a memorandum was being forwarded to Mr President on the completion of the assignment on bailout for Public Servants in the Federal MDAs.

It will be recalled that the Federal Government also packaged similar bailouts to State Governments to enable them pay outstanding salaries and allowances to their workers.