The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) on Monday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that workers receive their salaries promptly.
The ASCSN, in a statement by its Secretary General, Alade Lawal in Lagos, said that thousands of public servants in some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) had not been paid their salaries since October.
The statement also advised the President to guard against fifth columnist that pushed past governments to implement anti-people’s policies.
“This is the same ugly situation that prevailed last year until ASCSN threatened a nation-wide strike before salaries of workers could be paid.
“This persistent policy to kill-joy by past Federal Administrations should not be allowed to continue and the President has the capacity to bring it to an end,’’ it said.
The statement listed MDAs owing workers as: the Federal Ministries of Education, Information, Trade and Investment and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
It urged the President to give a directive to the effect that salaries should be paid up-to–date and that the situation where payment of salaries was delayed would not repeat itself.
The association said that it believed that President Buhari has the power to sanitise the polity.
That was why the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) organised nationwide rallies to support the anti-corruption war embarked upon by this administration.
“We appeal to the President not to allow the goodwill that brought him to power to be eroded by unpatriotic citizens,’’ the statement said.
It called on the President to take urgent steps to fish out saboteurs in the system, which were bent on frustrating his good intentions for the Nigerian workers.
The statement also said that Buhari should direct the Federal Ministry of Finance and Budget Office to release funds to pay workers’ salaries to enable them enjoy the forthcoming Yuletide.
