Former presidential aide and Arise Television’s Morning Show anchor, Dr Reuben Abati, has criticised the Federal Government’s N70,000 transportation allowance for public sector employees, describing the initiative as discriminatory.
According to him, it excludes staff within the personal sector.
Abati argued that rising transportation prices and excessive gasoline costs have an effect on Nigerians throughout the general public and the personal sectors, questioning why the federal government’s intervention was restricted to public servants.
He additionally questioned the timing of the initiative, suggesting that it may very well be politically motivated.
The media persona made the remarks on Wednesday whereas discussing the Federal Government’s plan to supply transportation assist to public employees amid the rising value of residing.
“So, federal government now said there is 70,000 naira transportation allowance for workers that are working in the public service.
“Well, I have an issue with that. Why is it only the public service? It’s not only organised labour that is affected in the public service, everybody is affected.
“Private sector, who is going to give us 70,000 naira transportation costs? We all go to the same market. No, we are all buying fuel at a very high cost,” Abati stated.
Abati additional faulted the federal government over its directive to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, arguing that the proposed measure had but to provide tangible outcomes for Nigerians.
“And the directive to NNPC, that has not even happened. We have not seen it, so we are all affected.
“So this is discriminatory,” he added.
DAILY POST reported that the Federal Government authorized the N70,000 month-to-month transportation intervention following a conciliation assembly with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Abuja on Tuesday.
Under the settlement, the allowance is scheduled to run for six months, starting in November 2026, to cushion the impression of rising residing prices on public service employees throughout all ranges.
The settlement additionally covers excellent allowances and different employees’ welfare points.
