THE Federal Government has approved the sum of N44 billion for payment of backlog of promotion arrears, salary shortfalls and other staff claims owed to public servants since 2012.

Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, made this known during an interactive session with civil servants at the Public Service Institute, Kubwa, Abuja as part of activities marking the 2017 Federal Civil Service Week.

She explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had already approved the marshal plan by the Federal Ministry of Finance on how to settle the staff outstanding claims and arrears.

Oyo-Ita, noted that while the sum of N30 billion was set aside for the payment of outstanding promotion arrears owed workers since 2012, the government earmarked additional N14 billion for payment of salary shortfall for affected Ministries, Departments and Agencies ( MDAs).

She also pledged to ensure digitisation of the full content of the public service operations in order to make for more efficiency and transparency in the service delivery to the nation.

She said: “Records revealed that the outstanding claims and arrears owed public servants had accumulated as far back as 2012 during which period the nation was in funding surplus but the allowances could not be paid.”

“However, in the past couple of months, we have had series of engagement with the Presidency, the National Assembly and relevant MDAs for the payment of our outstanding promotion arrears and other entitlement.”

“These engagement have culminated to the commencement of the payment of outstanding promotion areas in tranches.”

“The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation under directive has issued a Circular for MDAs to individually submit their accumulated promotion arrears which will be credited directly to your accounts.”

“In the same vein, His Excellency, the Ag. President has equally directed the Budget Office of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Finance to put in place modalities for the settlement of our other outstanding allowances, this is in top gear and a Circular would be issued in due course to intimate us on the payment plans.”

“Again, in line with this Administrations drive on accountability, each beneficiary will have their payment credited directly to his/her account.”

“It is pertinent at this juncture that I acknowledge the effort of the various Unions towards the amicable resolution of this matter and pray for continued cordial relationships as partners in progress,” she said.

While urging workers to reciprocate the gesture of the current of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, who have shown great commitment to the welfare of workers, the Head of Service said civil servants could no longer continue to conduct government business in the manner which has brought the Civil Service much disrepute.
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She insisted that workers must individually and collectively as “efficient, productive, incorruptible and citizen-centred public servants embrace this change for us, our children and generations unborn”.

“We have to rededicate ourselves to the aspirations of the current administration to achieve a national economy that we shall all be proud of. But I want to assure you, that the Federal Government is working assiduously to ensure the betterment of our work environment and service conditions,” she said.