The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced the payment of outstanding wage arrears to its workers, days before a nationwide protest planned by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, disclosed this in a statement posted on his X account on Sunday. He said FCTA staff received their January salaries last Friday, alongside the payment of one month out of the five months’ arrears owed under the Wage Award.
According to Olayinka, two months of the arrears have now been settled, while the remaining three months are scheduled to be paid with salaries for February, March and April.
He questioned the rationale behind the planned protest, noting that FCTA workers have continued to report for duty despite the delayed payments. “The workers on whose behalf the NLC is organising a protest were at work last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and they will resume work again tomorrow,” he said.
Olayinka also criticised the labour centre for what he described as selective action, arguing that several states have either stopped paying the Wage Award or failed to implement it entirely without attracting similar protests. He maintained that the FCT, which has already paid part of the arrears, should not be singled out.
The wage dispute follows an indefinite strike launched on January 19 by workers under the Federal Capital Territory Administration Workers’ Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) over unresolved welfare issues. The National Industrial Court later ordered the suspension of the strike after an application by the FCT Minister and adjourned the case to March 25, 2026, for further hearing.
JUAC leaders, Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Saleh, have since approached the Court of Appeal, seeking permission to challenge the ruling and requesting a stay of execution pending the appeal. The application, supported by senior lawyers including Femi Falana (SAN), warned that enforcing the court order could undermine the appeal.
Meanwhile, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress have accused the FCT Minister of intimidating workers and reaffirmed their support for the striking staff. In a joint statement, the unions described the Industrial Court’s ruling as “one-sided” and urged workers to remain resolute.
