Abuja: The Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) has assured federal workers that the government is addressing discrepancies in January salaries, which were reportedly lower than previous months. Mr. Benjamin Anthony, National Chairman of the council, made this statement while speaking with newsmen on Monday in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Anthony was responding to concerns raised by some federal civil service workers regarding shortfalls in their January salaries. He revealed that the discrepancies were traced back to a “systematic error” within the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
“We received complaints, though not in writing, from workers about reductions in their January salaries compared to what they received in October to December, 2024. Following the complaints, we issued a memo to all industrial unions to gather details from their members and revert to us, to enable the council to escalate it to the federal government for correction,” Anthony explained. He added that unconfirmed sources within IPPIS indicated it was a technical mistake, which is currently being resolved.
Anthony encouraged affected workers to formally report the discrepancies through their industrial unions to facilitate resolution. “We have already written to the Head of Service of the Federation, and she has promised to forward the complaint to the Accountant General’s office to understand what the issue is about. She also assured us that, if there are issues, every worker will be paid their correct salaries,” he noted.
He advised workers to verify their salary structures to ensure they are aware of their expected earnings before raising concerns. Part of the problem, Anthony suggested, might be linked to the peculiar allowance negotiated by the council, which the government had agreed to continue paying but seems to have been omitted by the IPPIS system.
“The federal government has agreed to continue paying the peculiar allowance, and I believe that is what the system mistakenly removed. It will be reinstated, and the affected workers will receive their full entitlements,” he assured, expressing confidence in the Head of Service’s commitment to resolving the issue promptly.