Federal workers under the Federal Workers Forum (FWF) have called for immediate payment of outstanding salaries and entitlements amid a spiralling cost-of-living crisis in a pressing appeal to President Bola Tinubu.
The union expressed its concerns during an online meeting on Monday, October 21, with the communiqué issued shortly after detailing the dire financial struggles faced by its members.
Comrade Andrew Emelieze, the National Coordinator of the FWF, stated, “The situation at hand is really very bad, worrisome, and disturbing. Nigerians are dying of hunger.”
He attributed the increasing hardships to the government’s economic policies, particularly following the removal of the petrol subsidy, which has led to skyrocketing prices.
“It is as if our people have been ambushed since the removal of the subsidy on petrol. It has been tales of lamentations everywhere, and things have really fallen apart,” he added.
The communiqué highlighted the government’s failure to address numerous unpaid dues, including promotion arrears, duty tour allowances, and a backlog of wage awards.
Emelieze emphasised that federal workers are “dying in silence,” stating, “Our take-home hardly survives us for a week.”
Workers are particularly distressed by the drastic increase in petrol prices, which has surged from ₦187 to ₦1300 per litre since Tinubu’s administration began.
“These hard and tough decisions have proven to be very harsh, hostile, and rash,” lamented Emelieze, who called the economic situation tantamount to “capital punishment” for Nigerians.
In starkly rejecting the newly proposed minimum wage of ₦70,000, Emelieze labelled it a “national embarrassment and a disgrace.”
He urged the government to “personally intervene” in alleviating the financial burdens federal employees face.
“We, therefore, reject ₦40,000 added to our monthly take-home as the new national minimum wage,” he declared.
The FWF’s appeal reflects a growing discontent among federal workers struggling against rising costs and stagnant wages.
As the situation intensifies, the union demands urgent action from the government to address the escalating hardships faced by its members and the broader Nigerian populace.
