The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration has denied owing salaries to its workers amid an ongoing strike that has paralyzed government activities across Abuja.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Lere Olayinka, spokesperson to the FCT Minister, said the only salary yet to be paid is January 2026, which is still within the payment period.
“There is this mindset that it’s because the government is owing salaries. No salary is being owed. The government is not owing staff of the FCTA and the FCDA a dime in terms of salary,” Olayinka said.
He also addressed the issue of promotion arrears, one of the workers’ demands, noting that ₦286.1 million had been approved for payment by December 2025, with funds currently at the treasury level for processing.
Olayinka defended the minister’s engagement with unions, saying officials, including the Head of Service and the Chief of Staff, held several meetings with union leaders, adding: “Those are the people the minister sent, and you are saying the minister did not give you an audience. How else do you want him to give you one?”
The strike, which began on January 19, 2026, has disrupted activities across FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils, and parastatals. The workers’ union cited unmet demands as the reason for the industrial action, although Minister Nyesom Wike said the administration has addressed 10 out of 14 demands.
Following the strike, the National Industrial Court, through Justice Emmanuel Subilim, ordered the suspension of the industrial action pending the court’s hearing on the matter. The ruling followed an application by Minister Wike seeking a court order compelling FCTA workers to return to work.
In line with the court order, Wike warned that any worker who fails to resume duty by Wednesday, January 28, 2026, would face disciplinary action. He emphasized that the government has met with unions and tabled all grievances, adding that while dialogue has been attempted, the strike appears to involve issues beyond the workers’ listed demands.
