Workers belonging to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration have declared that they will commence an indefinite strike as of 12 am on Monday, January 19, 2026.
The employees, who are part of the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), announced that all staff, including those from the College of Education, Zuba, and Senior Secondary schools, will cease work on that day.
Speaking to the press in Abuja on Friday, Rifkatu Iortyer, the President of FCT JUAC, indicated that the decision to strike was motivated by what the union characterized as a “breach of trust” by the administration, highlighting ongoing inaction and deliberate demoralization of their workforce due to a series of unresolved issues. During her address, titled "A Plethora of Festering Issues," Iortyer outlined an 11-point accusation against the FCT Administration, claiming financial misconduct, systemic failures, and instances of bad faith toward employees.
The union underscored the failure to remit pension and National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions as a critical violation of trust, posing a risk to the long- term security of its members.
Moreover, JUAC called for the immediate dismissal of retired Directors and Permanent Secretaries, denouncing their tenure extensions as a clear violation of Public Service Rules.
“We find the illegal tenure extensions of retired officials to be unacceptable,” stated Iortyer. The union also opposed the recent promotions granted to approximately 2,000 FCT staff out of over 7,000 who participated in the promotional exams.
“We reject the engineered mass failure of the 2024 promotional tests intended to avoid settling promotion arrears,” Iortyer clarified, labeling the examination process as a mechanism strategically designed to frustrate and demoralize their members.
Other issues raised included outstanding promotion arrears, unsatisfactory working conditions, harassment of staff, lack of training opportunities, and the failure to compensate Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) enforcement officers. “We demand immediate resolution of these concerns. We will not allow ourselves to be silenced by neglect,” the President cautioned.
“It is on this basis that I announce an indefinite strike commencing Monday, January 2026.”
Reports indicate that this strike will disrupt operations across the FCTA’s Secretariat, Departments, and Agencies (SDAs).
As of now, the FCT Administration has not released an official statement regarding the strike action.
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