Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to release Andrew Emelieze, the Coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum (FWF), without delay or condition. Emelieze was taken into custody recently, and Atiku, in a personally signed statement, linked the arrest to the government’s failure to fulfil its obligations to Nigerian workers.
According to Atiku, President Bola Tinubu’s approach to economic and labour matters has been disastrous. He criticised Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy on inauguration day, describing it as a reckless decision that has led to widespread suffering.
“On the very day he assumed office, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recklessly removed the fuel subsidy, setting off a chain of economic events that has buried ordinary Nigerians in hardship, hunger, and rising inflation,” he said.
Atiku pointed out that the government had made a commitment to provide temporary wage support to civil servants following the removal of subsidy while discussions on a new national minimum wage continued. However, he noted that this promise, like many others from the Tinubu administration, has not been kept.
“To manage a crisis of its own making, the government pledged to give federal workers a temporary wage award, pending the conclusion of minimum wage negotiations,” Atiku noted. “Sadly, this promise has gone the way of many others—broken and abandoned.”
He lamented the protracted negotiations and the government’s failure to honour its wage commitments in full, stressing that the administration took almost a year to reach a new wage agreement.
“It took the government ten months just to come up with a new minimum wage figure,” he said. “By that calculation, federal workers are owed ten months in wage awards.”
Atiku further revealed that only six of those months have been paid, leaving workers without payment for four months, each worth ₦35,000—bringing the outstanding total to ₦140,000 per worker.
“Despite repeated promises, only six months have been paid. Four months of arrears remain, amounting to ₦140,000 for every federal worker,” he added.
The former vice president accused the federal government of neglecting workers’ welfare while noting that several state governments have managed labour issues more responsibly.
“Some state governments have handled labour matters with a degree of decency,” he said. “Meanwhile, the federal government under Tinubu has shown complete disregard for the wellbeing of its workers.”
Atiku also reacted strongly to the re-arrest of Emelieze, who had recently regained freedom but was reportedly detained again ahead of a planned protest in Ibadan. He described the act as authoritarian.
“The situation has now worsened. Rather than keep its promises or seek dialogue, the government has chosen the path of tyranny and repression,” he said.
“At the heart of this is Comrade Andrew Uche Emelieze, who was arrested merely for planning a peaceful demonstration demanding payment of overdue wage awards.”
He emphasised that Emelieze’s only offence was advocating for workers who feel neglected and ignored by the state.
Calling for Emelieze’s release, Atiku warned that continued detention of labour advocates sends a troubling message about the direction of the country’s democracy.
“We demand that Comrade Emelieze be freed immediately and unconditionally,” he declared. “His detention is a serious blow to democratic values, an insult to the working class, and a clear indicator of the government’s authoritarian leanings.”
Atiku ended his statement with a strong message of support for Nigerian workers, stating: “Nigerian workers will not be silenced or intimidated. Their struggles are real, their needs are urgent, and the government must respond with action—not repression.”
Chronicles Reporter had earlier reported that the Federal Workers Forum is planning a protest on July 14 to demand the payment of the remaining four months of wage arrears. The group is also advocating for a realistic living wage, stating that ₦70,000 is insufficient to meet the daily needs of workers.
The forum reiterated its call for the unconditional release of its coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, who remains in DSS custody in Oyo State. All members have been directed to gather at the Federal Secretariat in Oyo by 8 a.m. on Monday for a peaceful demonstration.
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