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The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has denied owing salaries to its workers, amid the ongoing industrial action in Abuja.
FCTA spokesperson Lere Olayinka clarified on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief that the strike was not caused by unpaid salaries, insisting that neither the FCTA nor the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) owed staff any money.
“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 FCTA and FCDA a dime in terms of salary,” Olayinka said.
He added that the only salary that could be considered outstanding was for January 2026, which had not yet fallen due.
Addressing promotion arrears, one of the workers’ key demands, Olayinka said FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had already approved funds for their payment.
“As of December last year, the minister approved ₦286.1 million for the payment of these arrears. The funds are at the treasury level, and payment is being processed,” he said.
Olayinka also dismissed claims that the minister had refused to meet with the workers, noting that Wike had delegated senior officials to engage with the unions.
“The minister sent officials led by the Head of Service to hold several meetings with the union leaders, including the Chief of Staff to the minister, the Permanent Secretary of Common Services, and the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission,” he said.
The strike, which began on January 19, has affected operations across FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils, and parastatals. Wike earlier stated that the workers presented 14 demands, of which 10 had already been addressed, questioning the basis of the continued industrial action.
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 ruled that any ongoing industrial action must cease once a dispute is referred to it.
Following the ruling, Wike warned that any FCTA worker failing to resume duty from Wednesday, January 28, would face disciplinary action. He reiterated that his administration had engaged with the unions and addressed their grievances, but suggested that there were underlying issues beyond the officially presented demands.
