Thursday, January 29, 2026 - The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has denied owing salaries to its workers amid the ongoing industrial action in Abuja.
The spokesperson to the Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory, Lere Olayinka, made the clarification on Wednesday during an
interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief. He said the strike was
not the result of unpaid salaries, insisting that the FCTA and the Federal
Capital Development Authority (FCDA) were not indebted to staff.
“There is this mindset that it’s because the government is
owing salaries. No salary is being owed. The government is not owing staff of
the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital
Development Authority (FCDA) a dime in terms of salary,” Olayinka said.
He explained that the only salary that could be considered
outstanding was that of January 2026, which he noted had not yet fallen due as
the month was still ongoing.
Olayinka also addressed the issue of promotion arrears, one
of the key demands raised by the striking workers. He said the FCT Minister,
Nyesom Wike, had already approved funds for their payment.
“As at December last year, the minister already approved
₦286.1 million for the payment of these arrears. The minister has approved, and
it’s at the treasury level, payment is being processed. What else do you want
the minister to do?” he said.
He further dismissed claims that the minister had refused to
meet with the workers, saying Wike had delegated senior officials to engage
with the unions on his behalf.
“The minister did not give you an audience? He sent people
led by the Head of Service to hold meetings — several meetings with the union
leaders, the Head of Service, Chief of Staff to the minister, Permanent
Secretary of Common Services, and the Chairman of the Civil Service
Commission,” Olayinka said
“Those are the people the minister sent, and you are saying
the minister did not give you an audience. How else do you want him to give you
one?” he added.
FCTA and FCDA workers began a strike on January 19 over what
they described as unmet demands, shutting down activities across FCTA
secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils and parastatals in Abuja.
Wike had earlier said the workers presented 14 demands, of
which 10 had already been addressed. “So what then is the issue?” the minister
asked, adding that security agencies and FCT management had attempted to engage
the unions without success.
On Tuesday, the National Industrial Court, presided over by
Justice Emmanuel Subilim, ordered the workers to suspend the strike pending the
hearing and determination of the case brought by the FCT Minister. The court
held that once a dispute is referred to the National Industrial Court, any
ongoing industrial action must cease.
Following the ruling, Wike warned that any FCTA worker who
fails to resume duty from Wednesday, January 28, would face disciplinary
action. He said his administration had engaged with the unions and addressed
their grievances, insisting that there were underlying issues beyond the
demands officially presented.
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