By Mercy Peter
Administration of the Federal Capital Territory may be distrusted should the government fail to address workers grievances, NewsSpecng learnt.
The Labour unions under the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory over what they described as long-standing and unresolved labour issues affecting workers across the FCT.
In a statement on Thursday 8, January 2026, the unions said the ultimatum takes effect from January 7, 2026, following the failure of the FCTA management to adequately address their demands despite repeated engagements and correspondences.
The JUAC said the action became inevitable due to what it described as persistent neglect of workers’ welfare and administrative lapses that have continued to affect service delivery and staff morale within the FCT Administration.
Among the key demands listed by the unions is the non-release of approved overhead costs for six months in 2025, as well as the non-payment of five months’ outstanding wage award arrears owed to workers.
The unions also raised concerns over the non-remittance of National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions and pension contributions to individual Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), alleging that pension contributions have not been remitted since May 2025.
Other contentious issues include what the unions described as a defective promotion examination process with a reported pass rate of 22.5 per cent, unlawful centralisation of salary preparation and payment in the hands of a few individuals, and the continued presence of overstayed overseeing directors within the FCTA.
The unions further accused the administration of staff intimidation and harassment, citing restrictions such as bans on phone usage for staff of the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS).
They also decried the non-payment of enforcement squads and cleaners under the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and the Street Sanitation Department (SDS), as well as the lack of training and retraining opportunities for FCT staff.
Health workers under the FCTA were also highlighted as being owed 13 months’ hazard allowance and 22 months’ rural allowance.
JUAC warned that failure to address the issues within the seven-day window could compel unions to take further actions to press home their demands, although no specific form of industrial action was mentioned in the notice.
