Federal Government Delays Workers January Salaries

The January salaries of federal workers across various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in the country have been reportedly delayed.

An internal memo obtained by TheCable from the National Mathematics Centre in Abuja disclosed that the delay is due to the unfinished 2024 budget appropriations on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

The memo, issued by the Bursary Department of the Mathematics Centre on January 31, 2024, under the heading ‘Delay in the Payment of January 2024 Salary,’ confirmed that the delay is a widespread issue affecting all MDAs.

The situation has prompted discussions among federal employees, who rely on timely salary disbursements to meet their financial obligations.

The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has yet to issue a formal statement or provide a timeline for when the appropriations process will be concluded and salaries disbursed.

This delay underscores the critical importance of efficient budgetary and financial management systems within the government’s operations, especially in ensuring the timely payment of salaries to public servants.

The memo reads, “We wish to inform you that January 2024 salaries will be delayed beyond normal.

“As of today, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation is still working on finalizing the 2024 Appropriation on the GIFMIS platform and as a result, the Personnel Warrant for the month of January 2024 is yet to be released.

“The same situation applies to all MDAs and not just the Centre. We regret the inconveniences caused by this delay.”

GIFMIS is an IT-based system for budget management and accounting.

The federal government put it in place to improve public expenditure management processes and enhance greater accountability and transparency across ministries and agencies.

In November, salaries of federal workers were delayed over a technical glitch on the integrated personnel and payroll information system (IPPIS) platform.

As of Monday, February 5, some workers from the mathematical centre, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) and Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) who pleaded anonymity, told the platform that they are yet to receive their January salaries.