Workers under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have suspended their three-day protest but have now issued a fresh 21-day ultimatum to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to address their long-standing welfare concerns.
The protest, led by the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), began on Monday and brought activities at the FCTA and FCDA secretariats to a halt. Their demands include the payment of outstanding salaries, the implementation of wage awards for health workers, and a resolution to the ongoing strike by primary school teachers in the FCT.
JUAC President, Rifkatu Iortyer, announced the suspension on Wednesday but made it clear that the workers were only stepping back temporarily. She explained that the union has given the administration 21 days to act, after which they’ll issue a 14-day warning and then a final 7-day notice—following standard industrial action procedures.
“We’re not backing down. This is only a pause. If nothing is done within the time frame, we’ll return with even greater force,” she said.
The union is also calling for the removal of the Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, accusing him of poor leadership and neglect of staff welfare.
Meanwhile, Minister Wike has begun engaging stakeholders including area council chairmen, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in an effort to resolve the ongoing teachers’ strike.
JUAC says it will continue to monitor the situation closely and won’t hesitate to resume action if their demands are not met.
