Abuja Erupts: FCTA Workers Take protest To Industrial Court, Call For Wike’s Sack

Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), supported by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), staged a protest at the National Industrial Court in Abuja on Monday as part of a full-scale, indefinite strike over unresolved labour disputes.

The demonstration came after the NLC pledged its full backing for the strike, describing it as justified due to ongoing violations of workers’ rights by both FCTA management and the political leadership.

The protesting employees accused the FCTA of neglecting long-standing welfare issues, including unpaid promotion arrears, poor working conditions, and a lack of essential work tools. They said repeated discussions with the administration had failed to resolve these issues, leaving them with no choice but to embark on an indefinite strike.

At the court premises, the workers held placards demanding the removal of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. Some of the signs read: “Wike Must Go!!”, “Abuja No Be Rivers”, “Pay Promotion Arrears”, “Enough is Enough”, and “No Working Tools”.

The chants and placards reflected deep frustration with what the workers described as the high-handed approach of the FCTA leadership toward labour matters.

The NLC explained that its support for the strike stems from the FCTA’s repeated failure to uphold workers’ rights and honour prior agreements. The labour centre stated that the protest would continue until the demands of the workers are fully addressed.

Security personnel were deployed around the National Industrial Court, but the workers marched peacefully, singing solidarity songs throughout the protest.

As of the time of reporting, the FCTA had yet to respond officially to the workers’ demands.