*Court Fixes January 27 To Rule On Application To Halt Action
WORKERS of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Monday, January 26, stormed the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Secretariat and National Industrial Court (NIC), Abuja Division, in their bid to enforce total and indefinite strike over unresolved labour disputes.
The protesters defied and even confronted armed anti-riot policemen stationed at the main gate office of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, demanding his removal.
Upon realising that Wike had gone out through the back gate, the angry protesters pursued his convoy in an attempt to intercept him, shouting “Ole! Ole!! Ole!!!”
The protest followed a directive by the NLC backing the strike, which it described as justified in view of what it called persistent violations of workers’ rights by the FCTA management and political leadership.
Carrying placards, with inscriptions, such as “Wike must go!,” “Abuja no be Rivers,” “Pay promotion arrears,” “Enough is enough,” “Pay us our pension now,” “Respect civil service rules” and “No working tools,” the protesters marched peacefully around the court premises.
They were joined by other unions, including the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT chapters.
The ongoing strike, which began last Monday, January 19, at the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum, paralysed activities across major FCTA offices, including its secretariat, where security operatives were deployed to restrict access.
The FCTA management had claimed that most of the workers’ demands had been met, but the unions dismissed this, insisting core issues remained unresolved.
The dispute took a new dimension when Wike filed a suit at the NIC, presided over by Justice E. D. Subilim.
The claimants, the FCT minister and FCTA, in the suit, marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, with Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) Chairman, Rifkatu Iortyer, and Secretary, Abdullahi Saleh, as defendants in their representative capacities, are seeking an order restraining the unions and their agents from picketing, blocking roads, shutting offices or engaging in any action capable of disrupting the administration of the FCT.
At an earlier hearing, the court granted leave for substituted service of court processes on the defendants through publication in a national daily and by pasting at JUAC office within the FCTA Secretariat.
At the hearing on Monday, Counsel to the unions, Maxwell Opara, urged the court to dismiss the motion for an interlocutory injunction, arguing that granting the relief sought would amount to determining the substantive suit at a preliminary stage.
Opara further argued that compelling workers to resume duties while salaries and entitlements remained unpaid was risky, urging the court to consider arbitration and compel the FCT minister to attend.
However, Counsel to the FCT minister, James Onoja (SAN), opposed the request, insisting that the suit was properly constituted against only the two defendants, who are not registered under the Trade Union Act.
Onoja urged the court to grant the application and order the striking workers to return to work, arguing that the action has crippled essential services in the FCT.
In his ruling on the joinder application, Justice Subilim held that since the claimants chose to sue only the two defendants, the court could not compel them to add additional parties.
He subsequently adjourned the matter until Tuesday, January 27, for ruling on the application for a restraining order.
The workers embarked on the strike over alleged unresolved welfare issues, including five months of unpaid salaries, long-outstanding promotion arrears and poor working conditions.
Meanwhile, the FCT chapter of the NUT has directed all primary and secondary school teachers in the territory to join the strike.
In a communiqué jointly signed by its Chairman, Abdullahi Shafas; Secretary, Margaret Jethro; and Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye, on Monday in Abuja, said the decision follows a directive from the NLC, instructing all affiliate unions within the FCT to escalate industrial action.
