The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the indefinite strike declared by the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), describing the action as politically motivated and without justification.
Nyesom Wike made the remarks on Friday after meeting with chairmen of the six area councils in Abuja, directing them to enforce a strict “no work, no pay” policy against workers who participate in the industrial action.
The strike, which was declared by the NLC on Wednesday, affects workers of the FCT Administration and those in the private sector, following unresolved disagreements between the FCT Administration and the NUT.
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Wike Says Teachers’ Demands Are Being Addressed
The minister maintained that the issues raised by the teachers’ union had either been resolved or were being addressed by the relevant authorities.
He listed the outstanding concerns as the redeployment of some directors in agencies under the FCT Education Secretariat, the rescheduling of the 2025 promotion examination and the removal of the vacancy requirement for staff promotion.
According to Nyesom Wike, the government has been implementing agreements reached with the union, leaving no justification for the strike.
“We want to state categorically and let it be known to the public: this so-called strike declaration is political, and we will not accept it,” he said.
He added that the area council chairmen had been instructed to warn teachers against participating in the action.
“We have directed the chairmen of the area councils to call their teachers and state clearly: if anybody participates in this, we will implement no-work, no-pay,” Nyesom Wike stated.
Minister Accuses NLC Leadership Of Political Motives
Nyesom Wike also questioned the political neutrality of the FCT NLC leadership, alleging that the union’s chairperson had contested the February FCT area council elections as a candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He accused the labour leadership of using the strike to create a political crisis in the territory, particularly by keeping pupils out of school.
“You can see his interest. He is trying to ensure the FCT is in crisis as a political tool, telling voters that pupils are at home. We will not accept that blackmail,” the minister said.
Wike advised the union leader to separate political activities from labour responsibilities, arguing that union leadership should not be used to advance partisan interests.
The minister further claimed that secondary school teachers and other sections of the union had distanced themselves from the strike, insisting that the government was already addressing the issues raised.
Dispute Raises Concerns Over Schools And Workers
The indefinite strike follows disagreements between the FCT Administration and the NUT over administrative decisions affecting education personnel and promotion procedures.
The union is demanding the withdrawal of the redeployment of certain directors within agencies under the FCT Education Secretariat, the rescheduling of the 2025 promotion examination and the removal of the vacancy requirement for promotion.
While the NLC has directed workers to embark on the industrial action over the unresolved issues, Nyesom Wike has maintained that the government has no outstanding matters that justify shutting down schools and disrupting public services.
The development leaves the dispute between the labour unions and the FCT Administration unresolved, with the enforcement of the minister’s no-work, no-pay directive likely to become a key point of contention as the strike continues.
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