The Presidency has dismissed the claims in some quarters that public servants will not get paid in December due to a shortfall in budgetary allocations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a circular purportedly issued by the Federal Government advised police officers and federal civil servants to spend their November salaries wisely because their December salaries may be delayed till January 2022.
However, Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, who spoke to State House correspondents on Thursday in Abuja, dismissed the circular, saying President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration “takes the issue of payment of salaries more seriously’’.
According to him, the Buhari administration attaches great importance to the welfare of its workers, especially the payment of their wages.
“I have not been briefed about this issue but what I can tell you is that nobody takes the issue of payment of salaries more seriously than President Muhammadu Buhari.
“To give you an example, only two weeks ago or so, the National Economic Council announced that the President had approved this huge amount of money over N18 billion to each state of the federation to take care of outstanding pensions and salaries.
In addition, the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF) has advised civil servants to disregard the circular, cautioning workers against spending their November salary.
Mr AbdulGaniyu Aminu, Director of Communications, office of the HOCSF, gave the advice in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the advice came on the backdrop of a publication, alleging that a circular by Dr Folasade Esan, the HOCSF, advised civil servants to exercise caution in spending their November salary because of possible delay in the payment of December remuneration.
According to Aminu, the attention of the office of the HOCSF has been drawn to the circular, purportedly issued by the office, advising civil servants to exercise caution in spending their November salary because of possible delay in the payment of December salary.
“The fake news has unfortunately been published in some newspapers and some social media platforms without verifying.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it must be stated that the office at no time issued any such circular in respect of salary, ” the communication director said.
He further said the said signatory to the circular, one Dr S. A. Adegoke was not a staff of the office of the HOCSF, as there was no record of such an officer in the HOCSF.
“It stands to reason therefore, that those behind the so-called circular are just out to cause mischief by spreading false information for reasons best known to them.
“It bears restating therefore, that the so-called circular is nothing but fake news and no such circular was written or emanated from the office, ” he said.
Aminu advised civil servants and the general public to disregard contents of the fake circular as the work of mischief makers.