Obey Court Order or Face Law, Wike tells striking FCT Workers

By Philomina Attah

Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has said the FCT Administration remains open to reasonable dialogue with striking workers, even as he warned that defiance of a subsisting court order would attract legal consequences.

Wike spoke in Abuja on Tuesday while briefing journalists on the ruling of the National Industrial Court, which ordered workers under the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) to suspend their industrial action that has disrupted activities in the FCT Administration for more than a week.

The minister stressed that while the administration was willing to engage constructively with workers, the rule of law must be respected.

He alleged that the strike had been “hijacked by politicians” pursuing interests unrelated to workers’ welfare.

According to him, the FCT Administration approached the court after discovering that ongoing mediation efforts were being undermined by external forces, despite significant progress in addressing workers’ demands.

“We were already in the process of mediation when some politicians hijacked the strike. Some of the demands were frivolous, unreasonable or had already been addressed,” Wike said.

He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to staff welfare, revealing that over ₦12 billion had been approved for the payment of January salaries.

Wike also highlighted the impact of reforms within the territory, noting that the FCT’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) had exceeded ₦30 billion, a marked improvement from previous years.

The minister urged workers to recognise the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission and ongoing infrastructural investments as evidence of the administration’s resolve to build a functional and efficient public service.

However, he lamented what he described as systemic inefficiencies within the civil service, which he said often slowed development nationwide.

“Workers are largely responsible for the lack of development in states, including the FCT,” he added.

Wike dismissed claims circulating on social media that protesting workers chased him out of his office, describing the reports as false.

“I was never chased out of office. I only stepped out to see Bola Tinubu off at the airport,” he clarified.

Adopting a hard line, the minister warned that any further disruption of government operations, including locking of premises, would be met with decisive legal action.

“Anyone who dares to lock the gates again will be made a scapegoat. The law must be obeyed,” he said.

He further alleged that some senior civil servants were instigating the strike but insisted the administration would not retreat from its reform agenda.

Wike also clarified that although the government remained open to dialogue, it was not compulsory for him to meet union leaders personally.

“Seeing me in person is not a right. Workers’ representatives have been engaging with management throughout this dispute,” he said.

Wike directed all workers to resume duty immediately in line with the court order or face disciplinary and legal sanctions.

Meanwhile, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, sitting in Abuja, granted an interlocutory injunction compelling JUAC members to suspend the strike.

The suit, marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, was filed by Wike and the FCT Administration against JUAC Chairman, Rifkatu Iortyer, and Secretary, Abdullahi Saleh, seeking to restrain them from embarking on industrial action, picketing or lockouts.

Delivering the ruling on Tuesday, Justice E.D. Subilim held that while the matter qualified as a trade dispute, the right to strike was not absolute.

He ruled that once a dispute is referred to the National Industrial Court, workers are barred from industrial action, and any ongoing strike must cease pending the determination of the case.