The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, declared on Tuesday that he is open to dialogue with striking workers of the FCT Administration but warned that blackmail and intimidation would not be tolerated. His statement followed a court order compelling the workers to suspend their industrial action.
The National Industrial Court in Abuja granted an interlocutory injunction filed by Wike and the FCT Administration, ordering the Joint Union Action Committee to halt the strike. Despite the court order, staff gathered and insisted they would not resume work, choosing to stay at home.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Wike expressed frustration with previous negotiations. “We have been disposed to dialogue... They would say no problem and nothing would happen but before you know it they would go and do a different thing,” he stated.
The minister emphasized that genuine dialogue was the only path forward. “If they say genuinely we have seen what has happened, then we will talk. But if its on blackmail and intimidation, I will not agree, if you like go and hire all the civil servants in the world, its not my business,” Wike asserted.
The strike has disrupted operations within the FCT Administration, with workers demanding better welfare and working conditions. The standoff highlights ongoing tensions between the government and its workforce in the nation's capital.
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