Inflation: civil servants demand a salary increase

Following the increase in the price of gasoline at the pump, some federal and state officials have called on both governments to increase workers’ wages to reduce their hardship.

The workers, who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria in separate talks Friday in Katsina, said the appeal was necessary as prices for goods and transport had also soared.

A federal government employee in Katsina, Abdullahi Balarabe, said that as a result of the fuel price hike, commodity prices had also doubled.

Balarabe said what he normally bought for N200 was now being sold for between N300 and N400, adding that this posed a serious challenge for low-income civil servants.

“As you know, despite the increase in the price of fuel at the pump and the increase in food and other prices, our wages have remained the same.

“Before the current price increase, the salaries of many of us could not even support us until the next salary day. Some of us spend our salaries on payment of credits,” he said. declared.

Mr Edwin Michael, also a federal civil servant, said he had to park his vehicle to walk to the office as some petrol stations were selling petrol at over 184 naira a litre.

“We call on the federal government to do everything possible to increase the wages of workers to cover the shortfall in our monthly income.

“If I now go to the market with my salary, I don’t think it will be enough for me to buy what I was buying before the current increase in commodity prices,” he said.

Also, Malam Adamu Ibrahim, a state official, said the situation was indescribable, adding that only God could intervene.

He said his office assistant salary could barely sustain him for the month.

Ibrahim also called on the state government to raise the salaries of its workers, especially those in the lower ranks.

A visit by NAN to the central market in Katsina showed that traders had raised the prices of food and other goods.

Malam Isma’il Garba, one of the traders, said the rise in commodity prices was due to higher transport rates.

NAN reports that a liter of fuel now sells for between N184 and N220 at petrol stations across the state.

(NOPE)