There Is Hunger And Anger In The Land; Labour Tells President Buhari

Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), has pleaded with the Federal Government to take urgent steps and pay thousands of civil servants their outstanding salaries and allowances, lamenting that the workers were hungry and passing through very hard times.
In a statement in Lagos, the association also contended that the payment of the salary arrears and allowances would also stimulate the economy.

ASCSN, in the statement by its Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal, said:

“We believe that since these federal civil servants and their dependents live in different parts of the country, if these outstanding entitlements are paid to them, it will have positive ripple effects on the economy and douse the tension in the land.

“There is anger and hunger in the country and as a patriotic trade union organisation, we have decided to bring this situation to the notice of government so that it can take necessary measures to stem the tide by doing the needful.”

The ASCSN wondered why the Federal Government that doled out N713.7 billion to states to pay arrears of salaries and allowances to their workers, but refused to settle similar debt owed its own employees.

It said a bag of rice was now N20,000, more than the N18,000 monthly National Minimum Wage; a gallon of kerosene costs N1,200 from N400 a few months ago. ASCSN advised President Buhari not to allow the goodwill that brought him to power to be easily eroded, and so soon.