Federal civil servants in twelve government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) may face delays in receiving their salaries from October to December 2024, according to findings by The PUNCH. This situation arises from the exhaustion of personnel budgets due to the recent approval of a new minimum wage.

A notice from the Voice of Nigeria (VON) informed public servants about the anticipated delays. The circular, issued by Director of Finance Jack Odeh on October 22, 2024, outlined that the delays stem from the payment of a 40 percent CONPSS Peculiar Allowance, which was not factored into the 2024 budget.

The circular stated that salaries for the period from October to December 2024 would be funded through the Service Wide Vote, resulting in a slight delay in salary disbursement. Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press at the Office of the Accountant-General, confirmed that only twelve MDAs would be affected but did not disclose their names.

The notice explained, “Consequent to the Federal Government implementation of the minimum wage in September 2024, and the non-inclusion of the 40 percent CONPSS Peculiar Allowance in the 2024 budget, the Voice of Nigeria personnel budget has been exhausted. We regret to inform the staff and management that there will be a slight delay in the payment of salaries for the period of October to December 2024.”

Staff members corroborated the situation, with one VON employee stating, “Yes, we are affected. We got a circular that our salaries for October, November, and December are going to be delayed, but they didn’t give any tangible explanation.” Another staff member from the News Agency of Nigeria confirmed that while some have started receiving their salaries, others are still awaiting payment.

Despite the uncertainty, Bawa assured that the issue has been resolved and that affected civil servants would begin receiving their salaries promptly. He stated, “That issue is already solved. The affected civil servants will get their salaries. We have taken care of it. For this month, any ministry that hasn’t got will get it from today. They will be paid.”

He also dismissed concerns about ongoing salary delays extending until the end of the year, emphasizing, “No, it won’t be till the end of this year. We have resolved it.”