The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced that it has successfully addressed 10 out of the 14 demands presented by workers currently on strike, with assurances that the remaining four issues are being actively considered.
The administration also noted that some workers, including members of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria, have dissociated themselves from the strike action. According to the FCTA, such workers deserve unhindered access to their offices to carry out their lawful duties.
In a statement issued on Monday, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, disclosed that top FCTA officials have held several meetings with union leaders, including sessions held over the weekend.
Olayinka said that during a meeting with leaders of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) on Friday, January 16, the various demands of the workers and the interventions already made by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, were clearly outlined. He stressed that at no point did the Minister express unwillingness to address any of the workers’ demands.
He added that JUAC officials were appealed to, noting that the outstanding issues were not severe enough to justify a strike action and that continued dialogue remained the best approach to resolving staff welfare concerns within the FCTA.
According to the statement, payment of the outstanding five months’ wage award, one of the major demands, has already commenced. In addition, the administration has fully paid the 13 months’ hazard allowance arrears and 22 months’ rural allowance owed to health workers.
On promotion-related demands, Olayinka explained that the sum of ₦286,166,772.46, covering promotion arrears for 724 officers across 24 Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs), was approved by the Minister in December 2025 and is currently being processed for payment.
Issues concerning the alleged elongation of tenure of retired Directors and Permanent Secretaries were also addressed, with the Minister assuring strict compliance with the Public Service Rules going forward.
Regarding training and retraining of staff, all SDAs have been directed to submit their general and specialised training needs to the Permanent Secretary, Common Services, for onward transmission to the Office of the Head of Service for necessary action.
On the matter of non-remittance of National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions and pension contributions since May 2025, the FCTA clarified that the issue falls within the purview of the workers themselves. Consequently, the Head of Service has constituted a committee made up of workers to comprehensively address all concerns relating to deductions and remittances.
Addressing complaints about an alleged defective promotion examination process, Olayinka said the figures presented by JUAC lacked official backing. The unions were therefore advised to await the formal release of the promotion examination results as directed by the Minister.
He further stated that concerns over the overstay of overseeing directors have been largely resolved through the conduct of the 2023 promotion exercise for eligible deputy directors, while the release of the 2024 promotion results by the FCT Civil Service Commission is expected to conclusively address the issue.
Olayinka maintained that the FCT Minister has demonstrated commitment to workers’ welfare and will continue to prioritise their demands. He described the ongoing strike action by JUAC as unnecessary, ill-motivated and aimed at objectives beyond staff welfare.
The FCTA also called on security agencies to ensure that workers who have chosen not to participate in the strike are granted access to their offices to perform their duties without obstruction.
