Workers who fail to resume work on Wednesday or attempt to disrupt official activities at the FCT Administration Secretariat will be made scapegoats.
This warning was issued by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, while briefing journalists shortly after the National Industrial Court ordered the striking workers to call off their strike and return to work while negotiations continue.
The workers under the Joint Union Action Committee embarked on an indefinite strike one week ago to demand improved welfare, better working conditions, and other benefits.
The Minister in his briefing said that his administration took the workers to court when it was discovered that politicians had hijacked the strike.
Wike said the FCT Administration has demonstrated commitment to workers’ welfare, disclosing that over ₦12 billion had been approved for the payment of January salaries. He also pointed to reforms within the civil service and an improvement in the Territory’s internally generated revenue, which he said had risen to more than ₦30 billion under the current administration.
The Minister urged workers to recognise ongoing reforms, including the establishment of a Civil Service Commission and major investments in infrastructure across the FCT. He blamed inefficiencies within the public service for slow development and warned that further attempts to disrupt government operations, such as locking office premises, would attract severe consequences.
Dismissing reports that he was chased out of his office during protests, Wike described the claims as false and politically motivated. He insisted that workers were not entitled to direct access to him and warned that failure to comply with the court order and return to work would result in legal action, as the FCT Administration moves to restore normalcy in the nation’s capital.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
