The Federal Ministry of Finance was on Monday faced with protest from some of its staff claiming that they were being owed unpaid allowances amounting to N1.2 billion. According to sources, they were demanding the removal of the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun on the grounds that she had collected a house rent of N30 million annually but will not approve their allowances of N1.2 billion.

The Ministry of Finance wasted no time in delivering their own side of the story and we dare say it was a perfect response to what could have been very embarrassing for the government. Here is it;

 

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE

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PRESS UNIT, 4TH FLOOR, PHASE II

NEWS RELEASE

STAFF PROTEST OVER N1.2 BILLION SPECIAL OVERTIME UNJUSTIFIED

A joint protest by some staff of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Budget Office of the Federation to back a demand for the payment of an unofficial allowance in the sum of N1.2 billion has been brought to the attention of the Management of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

The Management wishes to state as follows:

i. The payment of what the protesting staff called a Special Overtime (SOT), was stopped by the last administration in 2014 on the ground that it was not listed in any extant government Circular, Financial Regulations or the Public Service Rules;
ii. The sum of N1.2 billion computed by the staff union for payment could not have been budgeted for in 2016 in the first place, not only  because of the paucity of funds, but  also the fact that the SOT allowance was not part of the remuneration in the Federal Public Service; and
iii. The Federal Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Budget Office of the Federation, do not individually or collectively, owe any of their personnel their salaries.

In view of the foregone, the Management of the Federal Ministry of Finance wishes to categorically state that the protests have no justifiable grounds.

SALISU NA’INNA DAMBATTA

Director (Information)

June 20, 2016