Federal and state civil servants have appealed to both governments to increase workers salaries to reduce the hardships they currently face following increases in oil price in the country.
Many of the workers who spoke to our correspondent said the appeal was necessary because prices of goods and transportation had also increased.
A Federal Civil Servant, Ayomide Olusegun said following the hike in fuel price, prices of goods had also doubled.
He noted that goods that cost between N200 N250 before the increase has had their prices doubled or tripled in some situations, hence the appeal for increment.
“As you know, despite the increase in the pump price of fuel and the increase in the prices of foodstuffs and other goods, our salaries have remained the same.
“Before the current increase in prices, the salaries of many of us could not even sustain us to the next salary day. Some of us spend our salaries on payment of credits,” he said.
Mallam Lanre Isiaka, also a federal civil servant, said that he had to park his vehicle to walk to office because some of the fuel stations sold petrol for more than N184 a litre.
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“We are appealing to the Federal Government to do everything possible to increase workers salaries to cover the deficit in our monthly take-home.
“If I now go to the market with my salary I don’t think it will be enough for me to buy what I used to buy before the current increase in the prices of goods,“ he said.
On his part, David Onoja, a state civil servant in Kogi State, said that the situation was beyond description, adding that only God could intervene.
He said that his salary as an office assistant could hardly sustain him for the month.
Onoja further called on the state government to increase salaries of its workers, especially those at the lower grades.
But a permanent secretary in Benue told our reporter that increment in salaries may not be possible in states at the moment as they were facing a lot.
“As a state, Benue is only hoping and praying that things don’t get worse than they currently are, otherwise, it would not be funny.
“Even as we speak, many are only surviving by the grace of God. Things are difficult even from the top. The only thing now is to pray, otherwise many states don’t have money.”