Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu’s administration for failing to pay the full ₦35,000 wage award promised to federal workers. He described the government as “callous” and out of touch with the hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians.
Atiku stated on Sunday that Tinubu’s government had pledged to support workers after removing fuel subsidies, but only six months of the promised ten-month wage award had been paid. He stressed that the remaining four months—totaling ₦140,000 per worker—remain unpaid, even as inflation and hunger worsen.
He criticised the government’s slow pace in deciding a new minimum wage, saying it took ten months to arrive at a figure while millions struggled with rising living costs. He blamed the president’s rushed decision to remove fuel subsidies on inauguration day for triggering a wave of inflation that has left many Nigerians in distress.
The former VP also condemned what he called the government’s authoritarian approach to dissent. He cited the recent arrest of labour activist Andrew Uche Emelieze, who had attempted to organise a peaceful protest over unpaid wages. Atiku demanded Emelieze’s immediate and unconditional release, calling his detention a violation of democratic rights and an insult to Nigerian workers.
He acknowledged that some state governments have acted more responsibly in handling labour concerns but accused the Federal Government of ignoring workers’ needs. Atiku warned that ignoring the people’s pain while silencing their voices would not erase the worsening crisis.
He ended by calling on the government to respond to the suffering of the people. According to him, “The hunger is real, the pain is growing, and the government has a duty to act, not to punish those who speak out.”
