March 11, 2024
The Nigerian government employees who spoke to SaharaReporters claimed that they had resorted to begging to feed their families due to the hardship the non-payment of salaries subjected them to.
Some staff of the Nigerian foreign missions in Europe have accused the President Bola Tinubu-led government of subjecting them to penury over 5 months of unpaid salary.
The Nigerian government employees who spoke to SaharaReporters claimed that they had resorted to begging to feed their families due to the hardship the non-payment of salaries subjected them to.
“We now seek help from friends and families in Nigeria for feeding as the embassies are currently owning us salaries,” one of them told SaharaReporters.
Another staff added that they could no more meet various financial obligations, as house rent, electricity, water, and sanitation bills, were already piling up.
“It will surprise you to hear that while our government wasted a lot of national resources on unnecessary projects, while the President in December 2023 gave billions of Naira to the governors to fight non-existing Covid-19, many Nigerian embassies' staff are being owed salaries for months,” he said.
“In Vienna, for instance, we have not received salaries since October 2023. In other words, going to 5 months, no salaries, in Europe. As a result, some of us have no health insurance.
“Some staff have problems with their landlords, and this also affects diplomats at the embassy. Some staff members have to seek financial assistance from fellow citizens in Vienna and Nigeria.
“Another thing you need to know is that, due to the poor administrative experience of the former ambassador, the embassy is in great financial mess. The appointment of some staff members was wrongly terminated. Such staff, three in number, went to the court.
“Of course, the Embassy lost the case. As it is, the embassy is to pay heavily. The normal thing the court will do in order to force the embassy to pay is direct instruction to the bank. Now, the embassy's account has been frozen.
“The implication of this is that members of staff may not get their salaries soon. If you see the toilet of the embassy, it is an embarrassing, very unhealthy place to be for minutes. Hence, visitors are no longer allowed to go in with their mobile telephones.
“One of the implications of owing embassy's staff salary is that it will promote corruption. It is well known to most Nigerians that our embassy in Vienna is still okay compared with Berlin and Rome, where Nigerians there suffer to get services. Hence, many of them prefer to come to Vienna to renew their passports.
“Now, gradually, the embassy in Vienna is gradually becoming like the worst ones. We are therefore calling for the attention of the general public and for the president to do something.”