By Isah Hussein
Some Members of Staff of the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity have asked the Honorable Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige and Head of Federal Civil Service Commission to immediately order the payment of more than three(3) years of salaries and arrears owed them since their appointment in 2018 and 2019.
The call was made on Monday, in a statement signed by Mr Nuhu+++ on behalf of about two hundred (200) affected staff of the Ministry.
Mr Nuhu in the statement said that they were employed into the civil service in 2018 and 2019 respectively, pursuant to an application to the Federal Civil Service Commission.
He stated that; “after receiving letters of appointment by the Federal Civil Service Commission, we proceeded to the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity for documentation, and submitted copies of the same at the Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
“We reported to our various states upon issuance of our posting letters by the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity, as required under the civil service rules.
“We came back to Abuja after some months for the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) enrolment which, we successfully did between December 2019 and February 2020 but, we are yet to be paid even after that .
None of us he said, have received salary, not even for one (1) month, talk more of other benefits due to us.
Despite the foregoing, he continued, “we have continued to carry out our duties as staffs of Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity in the various States we were posted till date”.
“This has continued even after we employed the service of some lawyers to Lodge formal complain on our behalf.
“It is no gainsaying the suffering and untold hardship we have endured as a result of the non-payment of our salaries and benefits since our employment in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
“We are Therefore, asking the Honorable Minister and the Head, Federal Civil Service Commission to as a matter of urgency, order the immediate payment of all salaries, benefits and other emoluments that we are legally entitled to since our appointment.
“We want immediate and positive response as this has caused us enormous difficulties and some of us have been begging just to feed. We have families to take care of and numerous bills to pay but this has not been easy, working without a pay”.