…as PDP asks Tinubu to account for petrol subsidy savings, pay workers
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has requested that President Bola Tinubu give account of the accumulated savings accruing from the removal of subsidy on petrol which came into effect seven months ago (on May 29).
The PDP further said the failure of the Tinubu administration to pay workers their December salaries in time despite overflows from the subsidy removal pointed to a deliberate plan to inflict pain on Nigerians.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, in a statement issued Saturday, said that President Tinubu should give full disclosure of the December 2023 distributable statutory revenue of N376.306 billion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N335.656 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy Revenue of N11.952 billion and Exchange Difference Revenue of N364.869 billion, as contained in the communique issued by FAAC at its December 2023 meeting.
This is even as the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation has said the civil servants’ December salaries have been paid since Friday.
The PDP asked for the immediate payment of the December salaries of workers and additional compensatory payment of at least 50 per cent of the salaries of workers, to cushion the effects of the economic hardship foisted on them by the APC-led administration.
It called on President Tinubu to understand that Nigeria is a federation that must only be governed by the constitution and the rule of law and not by the whims of any individual or group.
The party said withholding of workers’ financial dues in the Yuletide season, is a demonstration of insensitivity on the part of the ruling APC administration as regards the welfare of Nigerians.
“By this action, Tinubu’s administration has practically turned our nation into a huge Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp with millions of Nigerians becoming beggars and observing the period of hunger, anguish and misery,” Ologunagba said.
“It is obvious that the non-payment of the December salary critically needed by the workers, including our gallant security operatives at this period is consistent with the atrocious character of the APC-led administration to weaponise poverty and further suppress Nigerians to surrender to totalitarianism.
“Is it not provocative that while President Tinubu is busy partying and luxuriating with APC leaders, workers who are putting in their time and energy in the service of the nation are left with nothing to feed and celebrate with their families and loved ones?” the party queried.
It said sadly, President Tinubu would rather approve the frittering of the nation’s scarce resources to sponsor cronies, political minions, hangers-on, and their mistresses to expensive foreign trips while making no provision for the salary of genuine government workers.
“Such a heartless act by the anti-people APC-led administration never happened in the 16 years of the PDP in government, as workers then promptly received their December salary before Christmas day (25th) to enable them to celebrate Yuletide and end of year festivities with their loved ones,” the PDP said.
The party further said it was troubling that the Presidency could afford to withhold salaries even after approving the unbearable increase in the pump price of petrol to over N700 per litre, with the attendant high cost of food, transportation, medication, and other basic necessities of life.
PDP said it was instructive to remind Nigerians that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) had earlier this month announced that it shared a total of N1.783 trillion to federal, state, and local governments for December 2023, yet workers had not been paid because there was no cash backing by the Tinubu’s administration despite huge resources accruable to it.
But in a quick response, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation said the civil servants’ December salaries have been paid, contrary to PDP’s claim.
Accountant General’s spokesman, Bawa Mokwa, said, “The salaries have been paid. People have started getting their salaries from last week Friday. Most people got it day before yesterday.”
The Nigerian Observer reached out to some federal civil servants on Sunday and they confirmed they have received their December salaries.
