. Increases corps members’ monthly allowance to ₦77,000
By Tochukwu Bliss, Abuja
The federal government is said to have officially commenced the payment of the new minimum wage to civil servants starting September 26.
The spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, told journalists that federal employees will receive notifications about their updated salaries.
This is even as the government said on Wednesday that it has approved the increase of monthly allowance of corps members under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme from N33,000 to N77,000 effective from July 2024.
Corps members were originally being paid N33,000 following an upward review of the minimum wage to N30,000 in 2019.
Regarding the payment of arrears to civil servants, Mr. Mokwa did not say whether any outstanding arrears would be included in the payments, but merely confirmed that government workers would begin receiving their new wage from yesterday.
He said: “Federal Government civil servants will start getting the new minimum wage from today (Thursday) this September 2024.
“What I can tell you is that the minimum wage salary payment is today I am not sure of the arrears.”
This follows a recent confirmation by the Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Ekpo Nta, regarding the government’s endorsement of an increase in the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) as per the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act of 2024.
The new minimum wage, set at N70,000, was sanctioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on July 18, and subsequently passed into law by the Senate.
Mr. Nta had earlier at a press conference in Abuja, informed that the payment of the revised minimum wage would officially commence in July, to align with President Bola Tinubu’s signing of the wage bill following its passage by the National Assembly.
Again, this contradicted an earlier claim by the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, who said the wage increase would take effect from May 1.
Federal Government civil servants will start getting the new minimum wage from today (Thursday) this September 2024. What I can tell you is that the minimum wage salary payment is today; I am not sure of the arrears.
Corps members allowance
A statement signed by the NYSC’s Acting Director, Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, confirmed the Corps members’ allowance increase.
Ms. Embu said the approval was contained in a letter from the Wages Commission, dated September 25 and signed by the Chairman, Mr. Nta, in line with the new law.
The statement reads: “The Federal Government has approved the increase of corps members’ monthly allowance to N77,000 with effect from July 2024.
“This is in line with the enactment of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024.
“This was contained in a letter from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, dated 25th September 2024 and signed by the Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta.
“Before this, the Director General, NYSC, Brigadier-General Yusha’u Ahmed, had paid an advocacy visit to the Chairman in which he solicited a robust welfare package for corps members.
“The NYSC boss is thankful to the Federal Government for the timely gesture and is optimistic that it will not only bring much-needed succour to the corps members but also boost their morale and motivate them to do even more, in their service to the nation,”
