The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) has accused the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) of delaying the implementation of a 40 per cent peculiar allowance for federal public servants, warning that the action has denied thousands of workers their rightful entitlements.
In a letter addressed to the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Barrister Ekpo U. O. Nta, the union alleged that the commission had been “foot-dragging” in issuing the necessary circular and salary template required to implement the allowance in line with the new ₦70,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
The letter, jointly signed by the National Chairman of the council, Comrade Benjamin Anto Uyanto, and the National Secretary, Comrade Olowoyo Gbenga, stated that the delay had created frustration among federal workers who expected the allowance to reflect the new wage structure introduced in July 2024.
According to the council, the demand for the 40 per cent peculiar allowance is not new, noting that the approval for the payment was earlier granted during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The union also recalled that the commission’s chairman personally signed a circular on the issue on March 10, 2023, stressing that the request by labour leaders was simply for the implementation of an already approved policy.
JNPSNC further accused the commission of abandoning a presentation earlier submitted by the union which, according to it, would have assisted the commission in facilitating the smooth approval and implementation of the allowance.
The council also expressed concern that while the request affecting federal workers had remained unattended to, the commission acted swiftly on a similar request from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in August 2025.
In addition to the peculiar allowance, the union lamented the continued delay in issuing a circular to implement occupational hazard allowances approved for agricultural professionals in the public service by the National Council on Establishment in November 2024.
The council warned that the patience of workers had been overstretched and demanded a positive response from the commission on or before March 30, 2026, threatening to take further action if the issues were not addressed.
