Labour unions expressed strong disapproval on Wednesday over the Federal Government’s decision to slash the supplementary budgetary allocation for federal civil servant wages by N100bn.
This move, not aligned with the previously agreed-upon terms, prompted warnings from the unions that they would resist such changes.
The newly Revised 2023 Supplementary Budget revealed significant alterations, including the replacement of the controversial N5bn presidential yacht votes with Navy barges.
Additionally, the budget for defence increased from N476.54bn to N546.21bn, with N20bn allocated as capital supplementation for the National Intelligence Agency.
The recently approved N2.1tn 2023 Supplementary Budget faced controversy, leading to amendments by the National Assembly.
The initial proposed four-month wage award costing around N210bn was revised down to N110bn in the approved document, raising concerns among labour unions.
Further adjustments in the revised budget include a rise in the Ministry of Defence budget from N476.54bn to N546.21bn, indicating an additional allocation of N69.67bn.
The Nigerian Navy, involved in the earlier contentious N5.095bn for a presidential yacht, received an extra N25bn, increasing its total allocation from N62.8bn to N87.8bn.
Remarkably, the presidential yacht was replaced by the purchase of a self-propelled barge with the same N5.095bn.
This change highlights a shift in government priorities, redirecting funds to cargo-carrying vessels engineered for inland waterways.
The Defence Intelligence Agency received an additional N30bn, increasing its total allocation from N17.04bn to N47.04bn.
The Office of the National Security Adviser saw a notable increase of N20.3bn, rising from N29.7bn to N50.02bn.
Despite controversies, allocations such as the N1.5bn for official vehicles for the First Lady’s office and the increase in the education loan fund to N10bn from N5.5bn remained in the budget. The reasons behind the Federal Government’s decision to reduce wage awards remain unknown.
Labour unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), strongly cautioned the government against playing with wage awards.
The Assistant General Secretary of NLC, Chris Onyeka, emphasized the agreed-upon wage award of N35,000 for all federal workers and insisted that any reduction would be unacceptable.
Efforts to obtain an explanation from the Presidency regarding the reduced wage awards were unsuccessful. The NLC and TUC stressed the importance of adhering to agreements reached with organized labour, emphasizing their commitment to ensuring compliance. The intricacies of the budget adjustments and the potential impacts on workers’ livelihoods remain a focal point of concern.
