Judgment Day: Court Rules Today In FCTA Vs JUAC Strike Showdown

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Abuja, is set to deliver its ruling today (Tuesday) in a suit filed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration (FCTA) against the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) over an ongoing strike that has crippled major government offices in the nation’s capital.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The matter was adjourned for ruling after lawyers to both parties adopted their arguments on Monday before Justice E.D. Subilim.

In the suit marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, the FCTA listed JUAC Chairman, Rifkatu Iortyer, and Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh, as defendants, seeking an interlocutory injunction restraining the union from continuing the strike, picketing or initiating any form of industrial action.

The strike commenced last Monday following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum and has since disrupted operations across key FCTA offices, including the FCTA Secretariat, where security personnel were deployed to restrict access.

While FCTA management maintains that most of the workers’ demands have been met, JUAC insists that fundamental issues remain unresolved.

During Monday’s proceedings, counsel to the union, Maxwell Opara, urged the court to dismiss the application, arguing that granting the injunction would amount to determining the substantive suit at an interlocutory stage.

Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in Opara Agwu & Anor v. Julius Berger Plc, Opara cautioned that compelling workers to resume duties while outstanding salaries remain unpaid could have serious consequences.

He further asked the court to consider directing the FCT minister to submit to arbitration as a means of resolving the dispute.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Subilim adjourned the case to January 27 for a ruling on the application for injunction.

Speaking to journalists after the session, counsel for the claimants, James Onoja (SAN), argued that the defendants lacked juristic personality.

He contended that JUAC is neither registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) nor recognised under the Trade Union Act, describing the union as illegal and incapable of lawfully calling a strike.

“The body that declared the strike is not recognised under the Trade Union Act. Because of that, they have no authority to embark on a strike. This is the basis of our argument before the court,” Onoja said.

He added that the FCTA had demonstrated willingness to engage workers through mediation, noting that statutory procedures required before embarking on industrial action were not followed.

Opara, however, countered that the union had written no fewer than 11 letters to the minister outlining its grievances and requesting mediation, insisting the dispute should have been resolved through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

He accused the minister of using the court process to intimidate workers, arguing that forcing aggrieved and unpaid workers back to work could worsen tensions.

Addressing questions on the decision to join the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the suit, Opara explained that the original defendants were sued in their personal capacities.

He argued that any court order calling off the strike would only bind two individuals, despite JUAC operating under the broader labour unions, which had already issued directives for solidarity action.

According to him, the NLC and TUC are therefore necessary parties to the suit.

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