In a bid to recover excess payments made to federal workers in December 2024, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has begun deductions from affected employees’ salaries. The OAGF clarified that the overpayments resulted from a system error and that the recovery process will continue until the full amounts are retrieved.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the OAGF. The statement assured workers that the deductions were necessary to correct the December payroll anomaly.
The OAGF also addressed concerns over perceived salary reductions in January and February 2025, stating that there were no shortfalls. According to the agency, workers had received multiple arrears in the last quarter of 2024, including payments for the new minimum wage, the 25% and 35% salary increments, and wage awards. These arrears had temporarily inflated salaries, causing some workers to mistakenly believe their earnings had been slashed in the new year.
“The payment of normal salaries commenced in January 2025 after the exhaustion of arrears paid in the last quarter of 2024. Some workers assumed they were shortchanged, but in reality, they are now receiving their standard salaries,” the statement read.
The OAGF reaffirmed that unless a new salary structure is introduced, the figures paid in January and February 2025 will remain unchanged.
The agency confirmed that the system error responsible for the December 2024 overpayments had been rectified. However, the excess funds are now being systematically recovered through deductions from affected employees’ salaries.
“The error that led to overpayments in December 2024 has been corrected. Deductions are ongoing and will continue until the full recovery of the overpaid amounts,” the statement added.
Regarding outstanding promotion arrears, the OAGF revealed that the process is managed by a Standing Committee on Promotion and Salary Arrears within the Budget Office of the Federation. This committee compiles and verifies salary and promotion arrears from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) before forwarding them to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for payment.
The OAGF confirmed that batches 1 to 6 of the promotion arrears have already been processed, while additional payments are awaiting approval from the Budget Office.
As the government continues its payroll reforms, federal workers are urged to stay informed and review official salary structures to understand their earnings.
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