By Rosemary Nwanpka
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has dismissed reports claiming it approved a 40 per cent peculiar allowance for federal civil servants, clarifying that it neither sanctioned nor officially communicated such approval to labour unions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Eno Olotu, the office explained that the responsibility for issuing and communicating circulars relating to salaries and allowances lies exclusively with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
According to the statement, the circular being referenced was released by the commission on April 23, 2026, and not by the OHCSF.
The office stressed that contrary to media reports, it did not approve or transmit the allowance to the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council or any organised labour body.
It further clarified that the meeting convened by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on May 12, 2026, was merely an intervention and conciliatory engagement designed to encourage dialogue between organised labour and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
“The meeting was not an approval forum for the allowance,” the statement emphasised.
The OHCSF also recalled that during a press briefing on April 24, 2026, it unveiled a broader welfare package for federal civil servants. The package included adjustments to duty tour allowances, review of peculiar allowances across salary structures, increases in estacode and book allowances, as well as a ₦10 billion housing loan scheme for public servants.
The office added that the Federal Government’s welfare initiatives are aimed at improving working conditions within the civil service and sustaining industrial harmony across the country.
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