‘Your govt is callous’ – Atiku slams Tinubu over unpaid wage awards
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the non-payment of outstanding wage awards owed to federal civil servants.
The former VP accused Tinubu’s government of insensitivity, economic mismanagement, and suppression of democratic freedoms.
In a statement on Sunday, Atiku said the Tinubu government had broken its promise to cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal with a ₦35,000 monthly wage award to federal workers.
The ex-VP maintained that “That promise, like many others under this government, has become a broken covenant.”
“It took the Tinubu administration a staggering 10 months to arrive at a new minimum wage figure. By implication, the Federal Government owes 10 months of wage award arrears to federal workers. Yet, only six months have been paid and that too after a series of unfulfilled assurances and avoidable delays,” Atiku said.
According to him, the remaining four months amount to ₦140,000 per worker, a critical relief that has remained unpaid while Nigerians continue to grapple with severe economic hardship.
“When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hastily and thoughtlessly removed fuel subsidy on the day of his inauguration, he triggered an economic avalanche that has since buried the average Nigerian under the weight of inflation, hunger, and despair,” he said.
The former vice president also condemned what he described as the Federal Government’s descent into authoritarianism, citing the recent arrest and detention of labour activist Andrew Uche Emelieze, who had attempted to organise a peaceful protest demanding payment of the overdue wage awards.
“His only ‘crime’ was speaking up for workers abandoned by the state. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Emelieze. His continued detention is an affront to democracy, a slap in the face of every Nigerian worker, and a chilling reminder of the authoritarian drift of the Tinubu administration,” Atiku declared.
While acknowledging that several state governments have acted responsibly in addressing labour issues, Atiku said the Federal Government has instead shown “callous indifference and utter disdain for workers’ welfare.”
He concluded by affirming that Nigerian workers will not be silenced, warning that the government’s inaction and heavy-handedness would not erase the reality of the deepening crisis.
“The economic hardship is real, the hunger is biting, and the government has a duty to act, not repress,” Atiku added.
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