The Accountant-General of the Federation, Alh Ahmed Idris, has advised the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its ongoing warning strike so as to allow his office complete the process of payment of salaries of civil servants.
Idris gave the advice in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday saying that the strike did not allow workers who were directly involved in the release of funds for payment of salaries to have access to their offices.
He disclosed that the payment of salaries could not be achieved under an atmosphere where critical stakeholders were not allowed access into their offices.
According to him, it will be difficult for the Federal Government to fulfil its promise of payment of salaries to workers before the end of the month.
He therefore called on organised labour unions to suspend their strike in order to enable the office pay salaries to workers.
He said, “We have a standing order from Mr. President to pay workers salaries from the 25th of every month, which we have striven hard to fulfil to Nigerian workers and this month will not be an exception.
“I must explain that salary payment involves a number of processes that do not begin and end with the OAGF.
“There are other critical stakeholders like the Cash Management Department in the Ministry of Finance and others who are supposed to do their beat before we can finalise.
“After speaking with the local arm of the Labour in the office on the need to pay salaries, they conceded to allow me and some of my staff in but the gates are still locked.”
“On coming to the office this morning we met the gates of the office locked and wondered how we can keep this promise if we are being locked out of the office, he added
