The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Abuja Division, has ordered workers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to suspend their ongoing strike pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before the court.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim issued the order after an application filed by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, seeking to compel employees under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to return to work. The minister had sued the President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) over the industrial action.
In his ruling, Justice Subilim held that once a labour dispute is referred to the NICN, all forms of industrial action must be suspended in accordance with the law. He cited Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Disputes Act, which mandates the suspension of strikes until a dispute is resolved by the court.
The judge warned that failure to comply with the order could attract sanctions, stressing that public interest in maintaining industrial peace outweighs any inconvenience arising from suspending the strike. The case was adjourned to March 25 for hearing.
Following the ruling, Wike approved ₦12 billion for the payment of January salaries of FCTA workers and directed striking staff to resume work immediately or face disciplinary action. The strike had disrupted public services in Abuja for more than a week.
Addressing journalists, the minister said the government was compelled to seek legal redress after concluding that the dispute had been politicised despite efforts at dialogue and mediation. He insisted that the rule of law must prevail.
Wike maintained that several workers’ demands had already been addressed, while others were “frivolous and outside legitimate entitlements.” He noted that while protest is a democratic right, strike action should always be a last resort.
The minister also disclosed that the ₦12 billion salary payment exceeded the FCT’s average monthly statutory allocation of about ₦10 billion, highlighting the administration’s reliance on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). He said the FCT’s IGR has risen from about ₦9 billion to over ₦30 billion following revenue reforms and urged workers to acknowledge ongoing institutional improvements within the FCT public service.
