Protesting workers from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), bolstered by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), picketed the National Industrial Court in Abuja on Monday as the legal battle between the FCT Minister and organized labor intensified.
The protest served as a show of force following a directive from the NLC declaring full support for the ongoing industrial action. Addressing the motivations behind the strike, the NLC stated that the action was justified due to persistent violations of workers’ rights by both the FCTA management and the current political leadership.
Demonstrators gathered at the court premises carrying placards with various inscriptions, including “Wike must go!!”, “Abuja no be Rivers”, “Pay promotion arrears”, “Enough is Enough”, and “No working tools”.
The FCTA workers commenced an indefinite strike last week, citing the authorities’ failure to address long-standing labour and welfare demands. This shutdown has paralyzed government activities across several major offices in the nation’s capital.
In response to the industrial action, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, initiated legal proceedings against the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC). The suit, marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, was filed at the Abuja division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
According to court documents, the FCT Minister and the FCTA are listed as claimants, while the defendants are Rifkatu Iortyer, president of JUAC, and Abdullahi Saleh, the union’s secretary-general, both sued in their representative capacities.
The hearing was scheduled for Monday, coinciding with the picketing activities by the aggrieved workers.
