Members of the Trade Union of Congress and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday, May 20, 225. |Credit: Nathaniel Shaibu
Members of the Trade Union of Congress and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, on Tuesday, staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance to demand payment of pension, allowance arrears, and other emoluments for workers.
This is as the ministry has promised to address the protesters’ grievances, and payments would be made “within the next 48 hours.
Secretary General of the TUC, Nuhu Toro, explained that the Ministry withheld internally generated revenue of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, from which the monies were paid to the workers.
“We are here because of withheld IGR accrued to the NNRA, and we are finding it difficult to reconcile why. Because their contemporaries in the same sector have been paid. And it is important that I educate you that it is from this IGR that pensioners of NNRA are paid, and that workers earn their salaries and allowances. So, if the IGR is withheld, invariably, they will not be paid their salary.
“I have also told you that the value of the minimum wage, N70,000, is already eroded by inflation and the high cost of living. So, if they don’t pay as at when due, you can imagine what will happen to the working people,” he said.
Toro disclosed that through the Permanent Secretary, the Minister of Finance had granted approval for payments, stating that the action will not be called off, but will only be suspended until Wednesday, 21st May, 2024.
“The Honourable Minister of Finance, in his gentlemanly nature, has graciously granted approval today. The Perm Sec has assured us that the approval will translate into naira and kobo, into our pockets within a very reasonable time. We are going back to the drawing board to re-strategise, to either come back and continue or otherwise.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Raymond Omachi, who addressed the protesters, assured that the payments would be made “within the next 48 hours, noting that
“I have heard your grievances, and I have reached out to the Minister of Finance, and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who has given me approval to make sure that what you are looking for is paid. So, we are working on it, and in the next 48 hours, you will receive your payments.
So, I want to thank you people for agreeing to allow us to enter the office, so that we can do our work for you to have what you are looking for. Your voice has been heard and we will not disappoint you”, he stated.
PUNCH Online earlier reported that the workers, dressed in red T-shirts and holding placards, locked the gate of the ministry, depriving vehicles from going in and out of the premises and forcing workers who came to work to return home.