On Tuesday, organised labour directed workers in the Federal Capital Territory to call off their indefinite strike action and resume duties. The resolution followed an intensive conciliatory meeting between the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

The Minister gave assurances that no worker would face disciplinary action or victimisation for participating in the strike action.

Both parties agreed to withdraw all pending cases related to the dispute from the National Industrial Court. The workers subsequently aborted a mega protest earlier scheduled for that day.

The prolonged dispute between the FCT Administration and the workers was not without its drama. The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had sued the Joint Unions Action Committee, as well as the FCTA and FCDA workers, who were on strike, with a hearing scheduled for Monday.

The strike follows earlier protests by FCTA workers in June 2025, when they locked the gates of the secretariat over poor working conditions, stalled promotions and unpaid overhead funds.

The industrial action began on Monday, January 19th, 2026, after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued by the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC).

Major offices, including the FCTA Secretariat, were shut as workers stayed away from their posts in line with the union’s directive, leaving residents who came to access government services stranded.

The Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), which represents workers across different departments of the FCT public service, said the strike was unavoidable after FCTA management allegedly ignored repeated appeals over unresolved labour and welfare issues.

In a statement signed by its President, Rifkatu Lortyer, and Secretary-General, Abdullahi Saleh, the union accused the administration of failing to address long-standing grievances.

Among the key demands are the payment of outstanding promotion arrears, delays in career progression, and the alleged non-remittance of pension and National Housing Fund deductions. JUAC also criticised the conduct of the 2024 promotion examinations, describing the exercise as flawed and unfair to many workers.

The union further faulted the continued extension of service for retired directors and permanent secretaries, arguing that the practice is blocking the career advancement of serving officers. Before the strike commenced, JUAC circulated a notice titled “Code Remain at Home,” directing all workers to stay away from duty posts and warning that a task force would be deployed to ensure full compliance.

Despite claims by FCTA management that most of the workers’ demands had been met, the union rejected the assertion, insisting that the issues at stake remain unresolved and that the strike would not be suspended until its conditions are fully satisfied.

In response, the FCT Minister and the FCTA filed a suit at the Abuja Division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, seeking to restrain the unions and their agents from picketing, blocking access to offices, locking out officials or taking any action aimed at disrupting the administration’s activities.

The case, listed as suit number NICN/ABJ/17/2026, is being handled by Justice E. D. Subilim. The claimants are the FCT Minister and the FCTA, while the defendants are the JUAC President, Rifkatu Lortyer, and the Secretary-General, Abdullahi Saleh, sued in their representative capacities.

Court documents accuse the unions of barricading roads, shutting offices and interfering with the smooth running of the FCT administration. At the hearing of the application, lawyers for the claimants were present in court, while the defendants were absent.

The minister and the FCTA were represented by a team of senior advocates, including Ogwu Onoja (SAN), M.A. Ebute (SAN), George Ibrahim (SAN), K.O. Mustapha, and Esther Audu.

After reviewing the affidavits and written submissions, Justice Subilim ruled that the applicants had shown sufficient grounds for the reliefs sought and granted leave for substituted service of court processes on the defendants.

FCTA Commences Arrears Payments for Workers

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday began clearing outstanding wage arrears owed to its workers, releasing part of the backlog. The payment was confirmed by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and social media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, through a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday evening.

He explained that the payment was part of an ongoing process to resolve workers’ grievances over delayed entitlements. However, the TUC and NLC have promised to embark on a solidarity protest to the FCDA on February 3, 2026, to support the FCTA staff.

According to him, FCTA staff have already received their January salaries, alongside a portion of the accumulated Wage Award arrears. “FCTA workers received their January salary last week Friday, with one month payment of the 5 months arrears of the Wage Award,” Olayinka stated.

He added that the administration had not only started addressing the backlog but had also set out a schedule to clear what remains.

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