By Yahaya Umar
Activities across the Federal Capital Territory were brought to a standstill on Monday as workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) began an industrial action over what they described as the failure of the authorities to address long-standing labour and welfare issues.
The strike saw staff under the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) shut the gates of the FCTA secretariat, halting normal operations.
The strike, which took effect in the early hours of the day, led to the closure of government offices across Abuja, including secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils and parastatals.
The workers said the action was necessary to compel the administration to address long-standing issues affecting their pay, benefits, and working conditions.
Workers were prevented from gaining access to their offices, effectively enforcing the shutdown.
A security operative confirmed the development, saying, “FCTA and FCDA staff are not allowed into the premises because the unions have commenced their strike.”
The industrial action followed an earlier warning by the workers, who on Friday announced plans to shut down government operations across the Federal Capital Territory and its six area councils if their grievances were not resolved.
The decision to withdraw services was taken by the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), which directed workers in all cadres within the FCT to comply with the strike directive. The unions accused the FCTA management of ignoring repeated appeals and engagements over outstanding issues affecting staff welfare.
It was gathered that the action was triggered by the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCTA management, which the unions said elapsed without any meaningful response.
The ultimatum, which became effective on January 7, 2026, was conveyed in a statement dated January 8 and jointly signed by the President of JUAC, Comrade Rifkatu Iortyer, and its Secretary, Comrade Abdullahi Saleh. The notice was also copied to the Minister of State for the FCT, the Chief of Staff, the Head of Service and the Director of Security Services.
According to the president of JUAC, Mrs. Rifkatu Iortyer, who told journalists that the strike was driven by several unresolved grievances.
These included the non-remittance of pension and National Housing Fund contributions, non-payment of salaries, overheads, and arrears from previous wage awards.
She also highlighted centralized salary processing, the non-payment of staff at the Abuja Environment Protection Board and Social Development Secretariat, and the absence of a financial threshold for Permanent Secretaries and heads of agencies.
“Angry workers on Monday shut the gates of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) as they began an indefinite strike over unresolved welfare concerns.
“The workers, under the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), have been appealing for urgent action to resolve the welfare issues affecting their morale and productivity.
“The president of the union, Mrs Rifkatu Iortyer, told journalists that some of the concerns included non-remittance of pension and National Housing Fund deductions and no payments or overheads.
Other issues highlighted by Iortyer included unpaid promotion arrears, poor working conditions, staff intimidation, and limited opportunities for training and retraining.
The union also opposed the mass failure recorded in the 2024 promotion examination and called for its reversal. She noted that these problems were long-standing, causing hardship and frustration for staff who have dedicated their careers to public service.
JUAC had previously shut the gates of the FCTA secretariat in June 2025 in a similar protest to draw attention to these unresolved welfare concerns.
The union has stated that the strike will continue indefinitely until the administration engages meaningfully with the workers.
Strikes by professionals in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have been a recurring pattern over the past few years.
In January 2025, the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-FCTA) called off a warning strike after the intervention of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. The resolution followed the payment of six months’ salary arrears, approval of accoutrement allowances, and other measures addressing long-standing grievances.
Also in September 2025, resident doctors in Abuja launched an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries, stalled promotions, and worsening hospital conditions. This followed a seven-day ultimatum and a prior warning strike that failed to elicit government response.
Primary school teachers in the FCT staged a prolonged strike in 2025. They suspended the action only after partial payment of their outstanding entitlements. Their protest, which began in March, was over unpaid minimum wage arrears and other unresolved welfare concerns.
The current JUAC strike at the FCTA secretariat continues this trend, highlighting persistent staff grievances in the territory.
