Justice Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Abuja Division, has directed workers under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to immediately halt their ongoing strike pending the hearing and final determination of the substantive case before the court.
The ruling came after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, approached the court seeking an order compelling the striking workers to return to duty. Wike had instituted legal action against the President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) over the industrial action.
In his decision, Justice Subilim ruled that once a labour dispute is formally referred to the National Industrial Court, all forms of industrial action, including strikes, must be suspended in accordance with the law. He cited Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Disputes Act, which mandates the suspension of strikes until such disputes are resolved by the court.
The judge warned that any defiance of the order would attract legal consequences, noting that the need to preserve industrial harmony in the public interest outweighs any inconvenience caused by suspending the strike. The case was subsequently adjourned to March 25 for hearing.
Following the court order, Minister Wike approved over N12 billion for the payment of January salaries owed to FCTA workers and instructed all striking employees to resume work or risk facing sanctions. The warning was issued after the industrial action, which had disrupted services in Abuja for more than a week, was ordered to end.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, Wike stressed that the rule of law must be upheld, alleging that political interests had taken advantage of the strike for reasons unrelated to workers’ welfare. He explained that the FCTA only resorted to legal action after it became clear that the dispute was being politicised despite ongoing dialogue and mediation efforts.
According to the minister, many of the workers’ demands had already been met, while others were described as unreasonable and outside legitimate entitlements. He reaffirmed that while protests are a democratic right, strike action should always remain a last resort, especially when issues are being addressed and require time for implementation.
Wike further disclosed that the N12 billion approved for salary payments exceeded the FCT’s average monthly statutory allocation of about N10 billion, which represents one per cent of federal revenue. He explained that this funding gap highlights the administration’s dependence on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to sustain governance and development.
He added that the FCT’s IGR had risen significantly from about N9 billion when he assumed office to over N30 billion, attributing the increase to reforms aimed at strengthening revenue collection. The minister urged workers to recognise these improvements, alongside reforms such as the creation of the FCT Civil Service Commission, the appointment of permanent secretaries, and the establishment of the Office of the Head of Service.
