Activities at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) were disrupted on Monday as workers shut down key government offices across Abuja.
But, the FCTA management said there was no reason for the industrial action as 10 of the 14 demands of the striking workers have been met.
Workers, acting under the directive of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), stayed away from duty, leading to the closure of major administrative offices, including the FCTA Secretariat. Security operatives were deployed to various government premises, while members of the public seeking official services were denied access as routine government activities remained grounded.
JUAC had declared the strike following the expiration of an ultimatum issued to the FCTA authorities over what it described as unresolved labour and welfare issues, including unpaid promotion arrears, delays in career progression, pension and National Housing Fund (NHF) remittances, alleged irregularities in promotion examinations and the continued extension of tenure for retired directors and permanent secretaries.
FCTA, in a press release said it had already met 10 out of the 14 demands presented by the striking workers, while concrete steps were being taken to address the remaining four.
The administration, through the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said extensive engagements had been held with union leaders, including meetings over the weekend, to resolve the impasse.
According to the statement, top FCTA officials met with JUAC leaders as recently as Friday, January 16, during which all the demands raised by the unions, as well as the interventions already approved by the FCT Minister, were clearly presented.
“At no point did the Minister express unwillingness to address any of the demands,” the statement said, adding that JUAC leaders were urged to embrace dialogue rather than industrial action, as the outstanding issues were not severe enough to warrant a strike.
The FCTA noted that not all workers were in support of the strike, disclosing that some unions, including the Law Officers Association of Nigeria, had formally dissociated themselves from the action. It stressed that such workers deserved unhindered access to their offices to perform their lawful duties.
In further justification of its position, the administration cited commendations from some staff groups.
The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory (ARD-FCTA), was quoted as having written to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, commending his “exemplary leadership and commitment to the welfare of healthcare workers,” particularly for approving the payment of the long-outstanding 13-month hazard allowance arrears and a one-month wage award.
The FCTA said payment of the outstanding five months’ wage award, one of the key issues raised by the unions, had already commenced. It added that the outstanding 13-month hazard allowance and 22-month rural allowance owed to health workers had been fully paid.
Regarding the non-payment of 2023 and outstanding 2024 promotion arrears, the administration disclosed that arrears totaling N286,166,772.46, covering 724 officers across 24 Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs), were approved by the Minister in December 2025 and were currently being processed for payment.
On the issue of elongation of tenure of retired directors and permanent secretaries, which the unions described as a violation of the Public Service Rules, the FCTA said the matter had been resolved, with the Minister giving assurances of strict adherence to the rules going forward.
The administration also addressed concerns over lack of training and retraining opportunities, stating that all SDAs had been directed to compile and forward both general and specialised training needs to the Permanent Secretary, Common Services, for onward submission to the Office of the Head of Service for further action.
On allegations of non-remittance of NHF deductions and pension contributions since May 2025, the FCTA clarified that such remittances were primarily the responsibility of the workers themselves and not directly within the control of the Minister or FCTA management. Nevertheless, the Head of Service, the statement said, had constituted a committee comprising workers’ representatives to holistically resolve all issues relating to deductions and remittances.
Responding to claims that the 2024 promotion examinations recorded a low pass rate of about 22.5 per cent, the FCTA dismissed the figures as lacking official backing, noting that JUAC had been advised to await the formal release of the examination results as directed by the Minister.
The issue of the overstay of overseeing directors, another grievance raised by the unions, was also described as having been substantially addressed through the conduct of the 2023 promotion exercise for eligible deputy directors. The administration added that the release of the recently concluded 2024 promotion results by the FCT Civil Service Commission would conclusively resolve the matter.
“In all, it is evident that the FCT Minister has made concerted efforts to address the demands of the workers and will continue to accord their welfare top priority,” the statement said.
Based on the interventions already implemented and the explanations provided during several meetings with union leaders, the FCTA concluded that the ongoing strike by JUAC was “unnecessary, ill-motivated and clearly aimed at achieving objectives other than the welfare of workers.”
The administration also called on security agencies to ensure that workers who had opted out of the strike were granted unrestricted access to their offices to enable them carry out their official duties without hindrance.
