Scores of Federal Capital Territory Administration workers, backed by labour union, rallied outside the National Industrial Court on Monday, calling for the ouster of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike amid an indefinite strike over unpaid benefits and substandard conditions that has paralyzed services in the capital.
The demonstration, which began early in the morning, saw protesters wielding signs and singing anthems to spotlight what they termed chronic mistreatment, forcing court staff and litigants to steer clear as security forces kept watch.
Union representatives explained that shifting the action to the courthouse aimed to amplify their grievances nationally.
“The decision to move the protest to the court premises was meant to draw national attention to what they described as long-standing neglect and unfair treatment of staff,” union leaders stated.
They lambasted the FCTA’s management for reneging on pacts, particularly regarding overdue promotions, essential equipment, and overall employee support.
“The FCTA leadership of failing to honour agreements reached with workers, especially on the payment of promotion arrears, provision of basic working tools and improvement of general welfare,” labour leaders accused.
“Several warnings and negotiations had been ignored, leaving workers with no option but to down tools,” they insisted.
The Nigeria Labour Congress endorsed the walkout as “legitimate and unavoidable,” blaming it on “repeated violations of workers’ rights and what it called an attitude of disregard from the political leadership of the FCTA.”
Demonstrators highlighted Abuja’s distinct governance needs, chanting against Wike’s approach with banners reading “Wike must go!!”, “Abuja no be Rivers”, “Pay promotion arrears”, “Enough is Enough” and “No working tools.”
“Abuja has unique administrative realities and should not be handled with a command-style approach,” protesters argued.
Union spokespeople vowed persistence, declaring: “The strike would continue until all demands are addressed and concrete commitments are made,” and affirming that “workers would not return to their duty posts without clear timelines for implementation of agreed resolutions.”
The unrest follows repeated union ultimatums to the FCTA in recent weeks over entrenched problems like remuneration delays and inadequate facilities, with no immediate comment from Wike’s office.
