Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has openly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for failing to pay federal workers four months of wage awards and for detaining a labour activist who organized a protest over the issue.
In a statement released Sunday, Atiku accused the government of reneging on its promise to ease the economic difficulties caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy on Tinubu’s inauguration day.
“When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hastily and thoughtlessly removed fuel subsidy on the day of his inauguration, he triggered an economic avalanche that has since buried the average Nigerian under the weight of inflation, hunger, and despair,” Atiku said.
The former VP highlighted that while the government took about 10 months to agree on a ₦35,000 monthly temporary wage award for federal civil servants, only six months of this allowance have been paid. This leaves four months, amounting to ₦140,000 per worker, unpaid.
Atiku condemned the government’s “callous indifference and utter disdain for workers’ welfare,” contrasting it with some state governments that have acted responsibly. He also condemned the arrest of Andrew Emelieze, a labour activist detained for attempting to organize a peaceful protest demanding payment of the arrears.
“Instead of engaging in dialogue or fulfilling its promises, the government has now resorted to tyranny and suppression of free speech. His only ‘crime’ was speaking up for workers abandoned by the state,” Atiku said.
Calling for Emelieze’s immediate release, Atiku described the detention as “an affront to democracy, a slap in the face of every Nigerian worker, and a chilling reminder of the authoritarian drift of the Tinubu administration.” He warned that workers’ voices would not be silenced despite the government’s repression.
“The economic hardship is real, the hunger is biting, and the government has a duty to act, not repress,” Atiku concluded. Okay.ng reports.
