FCTA Says 10 of 14 Workers’ Demands Met, Describes Strike as Unnecessary

The administration stated that discussions are ongoing on the remaining demands, with a view to resolving them through dialogue. It also disclosed that some workers, including members of unions such as the Law Officers Association of Nigeria, have dissociated themselves from the strike and should be allowed unhindered access to their offices to perform their duties.

Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Public Communications and Social Media, Mr Lere Olayinka, made this known in a statement issued on Monday.

According to the statement, top officials of the FCTA have held several meetings with union leaders, including the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), with engagements taking place as recently as Saturday and Sunday. Olayinka said that during a meeting with JUAC leaders on Friday, January 16, the various demands and interventions of the FCT Minister were clearly outlined.
“At no point did the Minister express unwillingness to address any of the demands,” Olayinka said, adding that JUAC officials were appealed to adopt dialogue, as the remaining issues were not severe enough to warrant a strike action.

The FCTA noted that payment of the outstanding five months’ wage award, one of the workers’ demands, has already commenced. It also confirmed that the outstanding 13 months’ hazard allowance and 22 months’ rural allowance for health workers have been fully paid.
In addition, the administration said arrears arising from 2023 and 2024 promotion exercises, amounting to ₦286,166,772.46 and affecting 724 officers across 24 Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs), were approved by the Minister in December 2025 and are currently being processed for payment.

On the issue of elongation of tenure of retired directors and permanent secretaries, the FCTA said the matter has been resolved, with assurances from the Minister that the Public Service Rules will be strictly complied with.
Addressing concerns over staff training and retraining, Olayinka said all SDAs have been directed to submit their general and specialised training needs to the Permanent Secretary, Common Services, for onward transmission to the Office of the Head of Service.

On allegations of non-remittance of National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions and pension contributions since May 2025, the FCTA explained that such remittances are the responsibility of the workers themselves. A committee comprising workers has, however, been constituted by the Head of Service to address all issues relating to deductions and remittances.

The administration also dismissed claims of a defective promotion examination process with a pass rate of 22.5 per cent, noting that the figures presented by JUAC lacked official backing. Workers were advised to await the formal release of the results as directed by the Minister.

Similarly, the issue of overstaying overseeing directors was said to have been addressed through the conduct of the 2023 promotion exercise for eligible deputy directors, while the release of the 2024 promotion results by the FCT Civil Service Commission is expected to conclusively resolve the matter.

The FCTA further cited a letter from the Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory (ARD-FCTA), which commended Minister Wike for his “exemplary leadership and commitment to the welfare of healthcare workers,” particularly for the payment of longstanding hazard allowance arrears and a one-month wage award.

The administration maintained that significant efforts have been made to meet the workers’ demands, insisting that the ongoing strike is unnecessary and not genuinely aimed at improving staff welfare.

The FCTA also called on security agencies to ensure that workers who have chosen not to participate in the strike are granted access to their offices to carry out their lawful duties.