The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has firmly stated that it does not owe any salaries to its employees as the strike in Abuja persists.
Lere Olayinka, who is the spokesperson for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, clarified this position during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday. He emphasized that the ongoing strike is not linked to unpaid wages, asserting that both the FCTA and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) have no outstanding salary liabilities.
Olayinka remarked, "There is a misconception that the strike is due to the government owing salaries. No salaries are outstanding. The government is not in debt to the staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) or the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in terms of salary payments."
He further commented that the only salary potentially considered overdue was for January 2026, which, according to him, is not yet due since the month is still ongoing.
In addition, Olayinka addressed the concerns regarding promotion arrears, a primary issue raised by the striking workforce. He noted that Minister Nyesom Wike has already sanctioned funds to clear these payments.
"As of December of the previous year, the minister had authorized ₦286.1 million for the payment of these arrears. The funds have been approved, and they are currently being processed at the treasury level. What more can the minister do?" he asked.
Olayinka also countered claims that the minister has refused meetings with the workers. He stated that Wike had delegated senior officials to meet with union representatives on his behalf.
“The minister did not refuse to meet you? He sent representatives, led by the Head of Service, to conduct multiple meetings with the union leaders, including the Head of Service, the Chief of Staff to the minister, the Permanent Secretary of Common Services, and the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission,” Olayinka mentioned.
He questioned how the minister could provide further engagement, given that senior officials had been sent to negotiate with them.
Workers from the FCTA and FCDA initiated a strike on January 19, citing unmet demands, which halted operations across various FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils, and parastatals within Abuja.
In a previous statement, Wike disclosed that the workers had submitted 14 demands, with 10 already resolved. He questioned, “So what then remains the issue?” adding that security personnel and FCT management had made attempts to communicate with union representatives without success.
On Tuesday, the National Industrial Court, under Justice Emmanuel Subilim, mandated the workers to suspend the strike while the case initiated by the FCT Minister is deliberated. The court ruled that any ongoing industrial actions must halt once a dispute is referred to the National Industrial Court.
Following this ruling, Wike cautioned that any FCTA employee who fails to resume work by Wednesday, January 28, would face disciplinary measures. He affirmed that his administration has engaged with the unions and responded to their concerns, insisting there are other underlying issues beyond the presented demands.
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