The Federal Government has disclosed the reasons behind the delayed payment of December salaries to its workers.
According to officials, the delay is due to budget shortfalls and the switch to a new payment platform.
This comes after similar delays in November, when salaries were paid weeks late, causing financial strain for many civil servants.
Workers said the delayed payments have left them unable to afford basic holiday needs.
Some have canceled travel plans, while others cannot buy food, gifts, or clothes for their families.
The rising cost of living has made the situation even harder, with many relying on loans to get by.
Officials from the Accountant-General’s office stated that salary payments began earlier this week.
However, delays with bank processing mean many workers are yet to see the funds in their accounts. The government has assured workers that steps are being taken to resolve these issues.
Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General, Mr Bawa Mokwa, confirmed that payments commenced on Monday and that measures had been taken to address the discrepancies.
“They have started paying since yesterday.
“Last month, you will observe that some people didn’t get their salaries on time. Some ministries were having shortfall. Yesterday, they paid all, and even the ones that had shortfall, they ensured that they were augmented and paid. So, it now depends on the banks”, Mokwa stated.
He also disclosed that the problem is partly linked to the new minimum wage of N70,000, introduced earlier this year.
While the increase was welcomed, it caused funding gaps in some ministries, leading to repeated salary delays.
Additionally, the 2024 budget reduced allocations for salaries and related payments, putting further pressure on the government’s ability to meet its obligations.
In the 2025 budget, the government plans to allocate more funds for salaries and minimum wage adjustments.
“When they started paying the new minimum wage, the money assigned for salaries to these ministries was affected by the minimum wage. So, that led to shortfall for the ministries. That is what the government has addressed and augmented for all ministries to ensure that the salary was paid yesterday”, Mokwa said.
