‘Open the Gates or Face Consequences’: Court Orders FCTA Workers to End Strike as Wike Talks Tough

ABUJA — The standoff between the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and its workforce reached a boiling point on Tuesday, as the National Industrial Court ordered the immediate suspension of the indefinite strike that has crippled government activities in Abuja for over a week.

Delivering the ruling in Abuja, Justice E.D. Subilim granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) from continuing the industrial action pending the determination of the substantive suit filed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

The judge held that strike actions must cease once a dispute is referred to the court, citing the Trade Dispute Act which prohibits workers from downing tools during active litigation.

Wike: “I Was Not Chased Out”

Addressing journalists shortly after the ruling, Minister Wike did not mince words. He threatened “severe consequences” for any worker or union leader who attempts to lock the FCTA Secretariat gates again.

“The law must be obeyed,” Wike declared. “Anyone who dares to lock the gates again will be made a scapegoat. We will no longer tolerate the disruption of government services.”

The Minister also debunked viral reports claiming that angry workers had chased him out of his office earlier in the week.

“I was never chased out,” he clarified. “I stepped out officially to see President Tinubu off at the airport. Those spreading such rumors are part of the political machinery trying to hijack this strike.”

Workers’ Defiance: “Sit-at-Home” Begins

Despite the court order, the mood at the FCTA Secretariat remains tense. While the union leadership has officially received the court’s directive, segments of the workforce are adopting a new tactic: “Sit-at-Home.”
Chanting “Wike must go” and “No Pay, No Work,” some workers told nuus.ng that while they might open the gates to comply with the letter of the law, they would not perform their duties until their demands are met.
“The court said we should not strike, but it did not say we must work on an empty stomach,” a senior staff member said anonymously. “We will go to the office and sit down.”

The Bone of Contention

The crisis stems from a list of grievances presented by JUAC, including:

• Promotion Arrears: Unpaid backlogs spanning several years.
• Service Extension: The controversial extension of service for retired Permanent Secretaries and Directors, which workers argue blocks their career progression.
• Welfare: Poor working conditions and non-remittance of pension deductions.

Wike, however, insists that his administration has already addressed “80 percent” of these demands, including the approval of N12 billion for immediate salary payments, accusing the union leaders of moving the goalposts for political reasons.