Normalcy Returns to FCT Secretariat as Workers Suspend Strike
Normal activities have resumed at the Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) following the suspension of a planned solidarity protest by labour unions after a truce was reached with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The protest was called off in the early hours of Tuesday after several hours of negotiations between labour leaders and officials of the FCT Administration, led by Wike, alongside the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the FCT, Senator Mohammed Bomoi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that workers returned to their duty posts on Monday, with offices across the secretariat visibly active.
A visit to key departments on Wednesday, including the Minister’s Block, Treasury Department, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS), and other offices, showed staff members attending to official responsibilities and rendering services to the public.
The return to work follows weeks of industrial unrest after FCTA workers, under the aegis of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), embarked on a strike on January 19 over unresolved welfare-related concerns.
Although the National Industrial Court ordered the workers to suspend the strike and resume work on January 27, the ruling was initially resisted by union leaders, who insisted that the industrial action should continue until their demands were addressed.
The impasse was eventually resolved after a marathon meeting held from late Monday night into the early hours of Tuesday, culminating in a truce that paved the way for the suspension of further protest actions and the resumption of work.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday after inspecting ongoing projects in Abuja, Wike welcomed the resolution, stressing that the outcome was not about winners or losers.
“There is no winner and no loser. I’m happy that the trade union and labour congress came to see things for themselves. Sometimes, it is good to engage directly, because what people are told is not always the reality on the ground,” the minister said.
He added that the discussions helped to clear misconceptions and expressed satisfaction that labour leaders had directed their members to return to work, a directive that has since been complied with.
With workers back at their duty posts, services at the FCTA Secretariat have resumed fully, restoring administrative activities and public service delivery across the nation’s capital.
