By Daniel Edu
The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially declared that salaries for January have been successfully paid to all federal workers in approximately 90 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
This announcement follows concerns raised by the workforce due to reports of delays in salary payments.
Sources from the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHoCSF) and various MDAs, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, have corroborated the completion of the salary distribution process to Daily Trust.
According to these sources, feedback from colleagues and subordinates indicates widespread acknowledgment of salary receipts.
One official, receiving her salary on Sunday night, confirmed that by Monday morning, there were no reports of unpaid workers within her network.
Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), reassured the platform that salary payments for all affected MDAs and their employees have been processed.
Mokwa expressed confidence that such delays would not become a recurring issue, emphasizing the government’s dedication to punctual salary disbursement.
The delays in salary payments for December 2023, attributed to technical issues with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), and January’s delay, linked to glitches in the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) platform, had raised concerns among federal workers.
These platforms play a vital role in managing budget and accounting processes across the federal government, aiming to enhance accountability and transparency.
MDAs affected, as reported by Naija News, included critical institutions such as the OHoCSF, the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Ministry of Education, the National Population Commission, and media organizations like the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and the Voice of Nigeria (VON).
The recent delays sparked discussions regarding the government’s responsiveness to the economic well-being of its employees.
A memo from the accountant general’s office explained that work was underway to finalize the 2024 budget on the GIFMIS platform.
“The issue was attributed to the uploading of the 2024 budget and making it current because the salary was paid from the 2024 budget instead of the tradition where they overlap the budget. All was finalized on Friday. They are supposed to have started yesterday (Saturday). If they don’t get it, maybe it is from the banks; from tomorrow (Monday) morning, definitely they will get it,” clarified Mokwa.
