The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja, has fixed today (Tuesday) for ruling on a suit filed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration against leaders of the Joint Union Action Committee.
Justice E.D. Subilim adjourned the matter after hearing arguments from counsel for the parties.
The claimants had dragged the JUAC Chairman, Rifkatu Iortyer, and the Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh, before the court in suit number NICN/ABJ/17/2026, seeking an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from embarking on any industrial action, picketing, or lockout.
The ongoing strike, which began last Monday after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum, has paralysed activities across major FCTA offices in Abuja, including the FCTA Secretariat, where security operatives were deployed to restrict access.
Despite claims by the FCTA management that most of the workers’ demands had been met, the JUAC dismissed the assertions, insisting that core issues remained unresolved.
At the hearing on Monday, counsel for the workers’ union, Maxwell Opara, urged the court to dismiss the motion, arguing that the reliefs sought would amount to determining the substantive suit at the interlocutory stage.
Opara cited the Supreme Court’s decision in Opara Agwu & Anor v. Julius Berger Plc, insisting that directing workers to resume work while salaries remained unpaid was risky. He also urged the court to consider arbitration, compelling the FCT minister to attend.
The action followed a directive from the NLC, which threw its weight behind the industrial action, describing it as justified in the face of what it termed persistent violations of workers’ rights by the FCTA management and political leadership.
The labour union also accused the FCTA of wage abuse, intimidation of workers, and failure to meet statutory obligations. Protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Wike must go!”, “Abuja no be Rivers”, “Pay promotion arrears”, “Enough is enough”, “Pay us our pension now”, “Continued neglect of workers’ welfare”, “Respect Civil Service rules”, and “No working tools”.
Other unions, including the Nigerian Union of Teachers, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, the National Union of Electricity Employees, and the Nigeria Union of Journalists FCT chapter, among others, have also joined the strike.
