Federal workers under the umbrella of the Federal Workers Forum (FWF) have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fulfil his promise by paying the three-month outstanding wage award owed to them. The workers made this call in a statement signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, and made available to the press on Wednesday.

According to Emelieze, the refusal of the federal government to complete payment of the ₦35,000 wage award—which was introduced to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal—shows how poorly Nigerian workers are being treated. He lamented that since the implementation began, the payments have been inconsistent and irregular, leaving many workers frustrated and demoralised.

He also urged the government to clear the backlog of promotion arrears, some of which have reportedly remained unpaid for over ten years. Emelieze described the situation as unjust, adding that workers deserve fair compensation and timely payment for their services.

Furthermore, the FWF called on the federal government to introduce a cost-of-living allowance to help workers cope with the harsh economic reality. The group suggested that the government pay 30% of workers’ salaries as a cost-of-living allowance to mitigate the impact of inflation and currency devaluation.

Describing the recently announced ₦70,000 minimum wage as “a slave wage,” Emelieze called for its immediate review. He stressed that Nigerian workers deserve a better standard of living and urged the Tinubu administration to demonstrate sincerity by fulfilling its financial obligations without further delay.