President Goodluck
Jonathan has directed that
salaries of Federal
Government workers be
paid by today to enable
Muslim faithful celebrate
Eid el-Fitr this weekend,
Finance Minister Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala has said.
"Mr. President has
ordered an
expedited salary
payment in view of Sallah
holidays that are coming up.
We are happy to announce
that between today and
tomorrow, all those in the
Federal payroll should be
able to collect their salaries
and have a good holiday.
This is based on the directive
of Mr President," the
minister told a news
conference in Abuja
yesterday.
This is not the first time that
the President was directing
for early salary payment to
workers, most of whom
hardly get paid before
month end, but the last such
directive did not materialise.
In January, he instructed
salary payment by 20th of
the month to help cushion
the effect of petrol subsidy
removal but that directive
was not implemented for no
clear reason.
"As part of measures to
address the discomfort and
pains the citizens are going
through, Mr. President had
directed that by the 20th of
this month, salaries in the
public service should be
paid," Information Minister
Labaran Maku announced on
January 4 at the end of an
emergency meeting of the
Federal Executive Council in
the wake of the subsidy
removal protests.
But a week into February,
the salaries were not paid
because of what officials at
the account general's office
said were problems caused
by the national strike.
Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala did not
say yesterday what steps
were taken to ensure the
execution of the president's
latest orders on early salary
payment.
Most federal workers receive
their monthly salaries well
into the following month,
and in many cases get owed
salaries for several months.

Another stupid move.How can u pay salary at d middle of d mth.Den u pay d next one towards d end of d next mth,about 45days after.Common sense shd tell u d workers will b worse off dan b4,unless u now start paying every middle of d mth.Stupidity has no better example