Presidency dismisses notice to civil servants on delay of December salary
Presidency has dismissed reports which claim that the December salary of public servants under the employment of the Federal Government will be delayed due to ‘shortfall in budgetary allocations.’
Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, while speaking to State House Correspondents, Thursday, in Abuja, dismissed the circular, which conveyed the information to civil servants, saying though he has not been briefed on the matter, but ‘I can tell you that nobody takes the issue of payment of salaries, more seriously than President Muhammadu Buhari.’
It would be recalled that Federal Government warned civil servants in its various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to expect a delay in the payment of their December salary which might translate into a gloomy Yuletide for the workers involved.
This is even as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Alkali Baba Usman also had in a signal message dispatched to all departments and commissioners of police across the country, informed of a delay in their November salary.
“I have not been briefed about this issue but what I can tell you is that nobody takes the issue of payment of salaries, more seriously than President Muhammadu Buhari.
“To give you an example, only two weeks ago or so, the National Economic Council announced that the President had approved this huge amount of money, over N18 billion to each state of the federation to take care of outstanding pensions and salaries.
“So, logically speaking, if the President will help states to pay, he has done this many times, from 2015, he saw it as a national crisis.
“He did this kind of support to States not less than three times before this one,” he stated.
He, therefore, advised workers, especially public servants, not to be upset with such circulars, but remain calm, as their salaries would be paid,” Shehu said.
Continuing, the aide said: “So, if he will help states to pay, why would President Buhari decline to pay salaries?
“For the president, salary is so important that he is looking beyond the Federal; and he is holding the hands of the States to join him in doing so, please, people should not be unnecessarily upset.’’
The warning by the Federal Government was conveyed via a circular signed by the FMC Keffi’s Head of Finance and Accounts, Samson Adegoke, and dated November 25.
“Due to the recurrent trends of shortfall in budgetary allocations and its attendant effect on the payment of salaries in recent times across various MDAs, the management wishes to regrettably inform all staff that there might be an envisaged delay in payment of December 2021 salary in the Centre.”
Adegoke, while assuring the civil servants and heads of departments of the FMC’s efforts to forestall ‘unnecessary delays,’ warned them to be prudent about their spending as the yuletide season sets in.
“Accordingly, all staff are advised to be cautious in spending their November 2021 salary, and to make provisions for Christmas celebrations therefrom,” the memo advised.
In the same vein, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba Usman, in a signal message dispatched to all departments and commissioners of police across the country, informed of the delay in their November salary by the Federal Government.
“Information received from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System unit of the office of the accountant general of the federation indicates delay in the processing of funds salaries which implies that there will be a delay in payment of November salaries,” Mr Usman said in the signal message sent around 1:50 p.m. on December 3.
Nonetheless, the police boss commended the sacrifices and dedication of the force, assuring them that the delay would be minimised.
He further directed that all assistant inspectors general of police (AIGs) and commissioners of police (CPs) lecture officers on the delay in salaries.