Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) commenced an indefinite strike, effectively shutting down government activities across Abuja.
The industrial action led to the closure of major government offices, including the FCTA Secretariat, where heavy security presence was observed early in the day.
When our correspondent visited the secretariat, personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeria Police Force were stationed at the entrance, preventing workers from gaining access to the premises.
A security operative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Staff of FCDA and FCTA are not allowed into the office premises because of the strike.”
The strike disrupted activities across all FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils and parastatals within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The action followed an earlier notice by workers, under the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), announcing plans to shut down government offices over what they described as unresolved labour and welfare issues.
Speaking to journalists at the FCTA Secretariat, JUAC Vice President, Musa Istifanus, said the decision to embark on the strike came after repeated efforts to engage the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and FCTA management failed.
“The reason for being here is that we are shutting down the gates of FCTA, FCDA and all our parastatals and agencies. The main issue is our welfare,” Istifanus said.
“Since the inception of this administration, we have had issues with the management of FCTA and the Minister of FCT. He has refused to meet with the union, which is a key stakeholder in any organisation.”
Istifanus listed unresolved promotion matters, unpaid wage awards, and unremitted pensions as some of the workers’ major grievances.
“There are so many welfare issues. We have issues like promotion. We protested last year and some issues were resolved, but since then, nothing has happened,” he said.
He also criticised the previous year’s promotion examination conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission, describing it as flawed.
“The promotion exam was conducted using CBT for the first time. We appealed for staff to be trained before the exam, but nothing happened,” he said.
“There were technical glitches, computers were not working, yet the chairman of the commission ignored our complaints.”
According to him, about 75 per cent of candidates failed the exam.
“Out of 100 per cent, about 75 per cent failed. Do you call that an exam? That is the number one reason we are here,” he added.
On wage awards, Istifanus said only one out of five months’ approved payments had been made.
“They promised to pay since last year, but only one month was paid last week because they heard we were mobilising,” he said.
He further alleged that pension and National Housing Fund deductions had not been remitted since May last year.
“They have not remitted our pensions, NHF and other deductions,” he said.
The JUAC leader described the strike as indefinite.
“If the minister meets with us today and our issues are resolved, we will call it off. But for now, it is indefinite,” he said.
However, the FCTA dismissed the unions’ claims, saying 10 out of the 14 demands presented by the workers had already been addressed.
In a statement, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, said several meetings had been held with union leaders to resolve the issues.
“At no point did the Minister express unwillingness to address any of the demands,” Olayinka said.
He noted that the payment of the five-month wage award had commenced and that hazard and rural allowances for health workers had been fully paid.
Olayinka also said the Association of Resident Doctors, FCT, had written to the minister to appreciate him for clearing long-standing hazard allowance arrears and paying one month of the wage award.
On promotion arrears, the FCTA said N286 million approved for 724 officers across 24 departments was being processed for payment.
The issue of elongation of tenure of retired directors and permanent secretaries, the statement said, had been resolved in line with Public Service Rules.
On pension and NHF remittances, the FCTA said a committee comprising workers had been set up to address the matter.
The administration also dismissed claims of a 22.5 per cent pass rate in the promotion exam, saying the figures had “no official backing” and urging unions to await the formal release of results.
Olayinka described the strike as unnecessary.
“Given the efforts already made, the strike action embarked upon by JUAC is unnecessary, ill-motivated and clearly aimed at achieving purposes other than the welfare of workers,” he said.
The FCTA also called on security agencies to allow workers who opted out of the strike to access their offices.
