Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has slammed the administration of President Bola Tinubu over the non-payment of four months’ wage awards to federal workers and the detention of a labour activist who sought to protest the delay.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Atiku accused the Federal Government of failing to fulfill its promise of cushioning the economic hardship triggered by Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy.
“When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hastily and thoughtlessly removed fuel subsidy on the day of his inauguration, he triggered an economic avalanche that has since buried the average Nigerian under the weight of inflation, hunger, and despair,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President noted that the administration had promised to pay a temporary wage award to federal civil servants while negotiations for a new national minimum wage were underway.
APC’s Abayomi Ladega On Ikorodu Chairmanship Race
APC’s Abayomi Ladega On Ikorodu Chairmanship Race
He said despite taking “a staggering 10 months” to reach a figure, the government has only paid six months’ worth of the promised ₦35,000 monthly allowance.
“By implication, the Federal Government owes 10 months of wage award arrears to federal workers.
“Yet, only six months have been paid and that too after a series of unfulfilled assurances and avoidable delays,” he said.
According to Atiku, the remaining four months amount to ₦140,000 per worker.
He also condemned what he described as the government’s “callous indifference and utter disdain for workers’ welfare,” contrasting the federal administration’s attitude with the efforts of some state governments which he said have shown “commendable responsibility.”
The statement further decried the recent arrest of Andrew Emelieze, who was allegedly detained for attempting to organise a peaceful protest demanding payment of the outstanding wage awards.
“Instead of engaging in dialogue or fulfilling its promises, the government has now resorted to tyranny and suppression of free speech.
“His only ‘crime’ was speaking up for workers abandoned by the state,” Atiku said.
Demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Emelieze, Atiku described the activist’s continued detention as “an affront to democracy, a slap in the face of every Nigerian worker, and a chilling reminder of the authoritarian drift of the Tinubu administration.”
He concluded with a warning that the voices of Nigerian workers would not be silenced.
“The economic hardship is real, the hunger is biting, and the government has a duty to act, not repress,” Atiku said.
