FG approves salary increase for civil servants 

The Federal Government has approved a salary increase of between 25 and 35 per cent for civil servants.

This move is coming on the eve of the 2024 Workers’ Day.

This was revealed in a statement on Tuesday by the Head of Press at the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC)Emmanuel Njoku.

The increment, it stated, would take effect from January 1, 2024.

The Salary Structure includes the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), Consolidated Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS), Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (CONPASS), Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure (CONICCS) and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS).

Those in the tertiary education and health sectors had already received their increases which involved Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) for universities.

For polytechnics and colleges of education, the statement indicated that the new salary structure involved the Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONPCASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure (CONTEDISS).

Those in the Health Sector will also be benefiting through the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Sector Salary Structure (CONHESS).

Also, the Federal Government has approved increase in pension of between 20 and 28 per cent for pensioners on the defined benefits scheme concerning the above-mentioned six consolidated salary structures.

FG declares Wednesday May 1 public holiday 

The Federal Government has declared Wednesday May 1, 2024 as a public holiday to mark this year’s Workers’ Day.

Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made the declaration in a statement released on Tuesday by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Aishetu Ndayako.

“The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, 1st May 2024 as a public holiday to commemorate this year’s Workers’ Day Celebration,” Aishetu said in the statement.

She quoted the minister as “In alignment with this year’s theme, which focuses on ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate, I wish to state that the Federal Government remains steadfast in its resolve to prioritise the safety and well-being of all citizens.

“Let me reaffirm Mr. President’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for work, where every worker can thrive and contribute meaningfully to national development.”

The minister acknowledged the contribution of workers and called for more measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change through synergy.

“The minister also urged Nigerians to remain committed to the present administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda as he wishes workers a happy celebration,” the statement added.

FG set to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad, Cameroon

The federal government has announced plans to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad and Cameroon over the next two months. The plan involves bringing back 6,000 individuals from Chad and 14,000 from Cameroon.

As of December 31, 2023, there were 21,338 Nigerian refugees in Chad and 120,677 in Cameroon. In the previous year, the federal government successfully repatriated 5,000 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon to Banki in Borno State. In preparation for the return of the refugees, the federal government procured food and non-food items worth N2 billion in 2023.

The Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Tijani Ahmed, disclosed this information at a Technical Working Group meeting in Abuja. The refugees were displaced due to various factors, including the 2022 flood, the Boko Haram crisis, clashes between farmers and herders, and the ongoing challenges posed by climate change.

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Ahmed said: “In the year 2023, the commission spearheaded the repatriation of 5,000 people living in Cameroon to the country.

“We are also arranging to bring back those who are interested in returning because repatriation is voluntary and an agreement has been signed between UNHCR, the government of Cameroon and the federal government of Nigeria in the area of repatriation of our people from Cameroon.

“We are going to work towards the repatriation of 6,000 Nigerians out of about 21,000 of them in Chad.

“We are looking at returning 3000 households from Chad, which is about 6,000 people would be repatriated from Chad to Nigeria. For Cameroon, we have about 14,000 people but we will profile them because we don’t have to force anybody to return. Arrangements are underway to get them back. Within the next two months, we should have concluded the arrangement on repatriation.”

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Deputy Representative (Protection), Bernadette Muteshi commended the federal government for taking the lead in the repatriation exercise.

FG set to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad, Cameroon