FCTA Workers Begin Three-Day Protest Over Poor Welfare, Stalled Promotions

Workers under the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) have launched a three-day protest, shutting the gate of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) secretariat in Abuja over poor welfare conditions and stalled promotions.

JUAC president Rifkatu Iortyer said the protest was triggered by the non-payment of overheads since December 2024, stagnation in career progression, lack of staff training, irregular salary payments, and unresolved strikes by primary healthcare workers and teachers. She also highlighted the plight of unpaid casual workers in agencies like the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), who have not received salaries since December last year.

Iortyer commended FCT minister Nyesom Wike for reforms such as establishing the FCT Civil Service Commission, which she said created a path for career advancement up to permanent secretary level. However, she lamented that workers’ welfare had worsened despite these reforms.

“We are protesting for so many things and we are not happy over a lot of things,” Iortyer said, noting that offices have been forced to borrow paper to operate and staff have not been promoted since the backlog was cleared in August 2023.

She urged the administration to address the grievances of casual workers, saying they should be absorbed as permanent staff or paid promptly, as they perform crucial duties such as sweeping streets and maintaining cemeteries.

The union also called on Wike to intervene in the ongoing strike by primary school teachers, noting that primary education falls under the jurisdiction of the area councils. The protest is expected to continue for three days, after which workers will decide on further action if their demands are not met.