By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
FCT Strike Persists as Workers Ignore Court Order, Keep Pressure on Wike
Industrial action by workers under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) entered a fresh phase on Wednesday as striking unions refused to return to work despite a court directive ordering an immediate suspension of the strike.
The workers, operating under the umbrella of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), commenced an indefinite strike on January 19 over what they described as prolonged neglect of welfare issues affecting staff morale and productivity within the FCT civil service.
The action later gained momentum when the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) joined in solidarity with workers in the FCTA and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
At the heart of the dispute are unresolved financial entitlements, including five months of unpaid wage awards, outstanding promotion arrears for 2023 and 2024, and incomplete payment of 13 months’ hazard allowance and 22 months’ rural posting allowance owed to health workers.
The unions are also demanding the remittance of pension and National Housing Fund deductions, an end to alleged intimidation of staff, and improved working conditions across departments.
On Tuesday, the National Industrial Court in Abuja ordered the suspension of the strike pending further hearing of a suit filed by the FCT authorities.
The application was brought by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, alongside the FCTA, seeking an injunction to restrain the unions from continuing the industrial action.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim, who presided over the matter, granted the order, naming union leaders Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh as defendants in the suit.
However, checks across parts of the FCT on Wednesday showed that compliance with the court order remained limited. Several public schools and healthcare facilities, particularly in Bwari Area Council, were still shut, forcing students and patients to return home.
At Government Day Secondary School, Dutse Alhaji, Junior Secondary School, Ushafa, and LEA Primary School, Ushafa, students were dismissed as early as 8 a.m. due to the absence of staff.
A staff member of LEA Primary School, Ushafa, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said workers had not received any official notice directing them to resume duties.
According to the official, the court ruling appeared to apply only to union leaders and not the general workforce. “There is no memo telling us the strike has been called off. The order mentioned only the union heads, and I believe they have resumed,” he said.
Responding to the situation, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, insisted that the strike had effectively been suspended.
Olayinka said those who initiated the industrial action had already returned to their offices, adding that workers still absent may not have received accurate information.
“The strike was not declared by the NUT. Those who declared it have resumed work and were in their offices today,” he said. “If others have not resumed, it is likely due to misinformation. By tomorrow, they should be back at work.”
Despite the government’s position, activities across key public institutions in parts of the FCT remained largely paralysed as of Wednesday, suggesting that the standoff between the authorities and workers is far from resolved.
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