The long-brewing standoff between Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the civil service workforce escalated into a full-blown legal war on Thursday, as a court halted the indefinite strike launched by workers under the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC).
In its ruling, the National Industrial Court (NICN) sitting in Abuja granted an Order of Interlocutory Injunction, effectively restraining JUAC from continuing its industrial action, which had threatened to cripple FCT operations.
Presiding judge, Justice E.D. Subilim, granted the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA)’s application to stop all forms of strike-related activities, including picketing, lockouts, road blockades, and any action capable of shutting down government functions.
Leading the FCTA’s legal team, Dr Ogwu Onoja (SAN), argued that the strike was not only disruptive but unlawful, posing a direct threat to public service delivery and governance in the capital city.
The action follows a week of escalating tension between the FCTA and JUAC over unpaid promotion arrears and statutory entitlements, issues that led to the indefinite strike.
In a bold legal twist, the FCTA also challenged the legitimacy of JUAC, questioning whether the body qualifies as a registered trade union under the Trade Disputes Act.
“The strike is illegal, and the body leading it lacks the legal framework to operate as a union under extant labour laws,” the FCTA argued in court.
In a further development, JUAC President, Rifkatu Iortyer, and Secretary Abdullahi Umar Saleh were absent from court, prompting Justice Subilim to approve substituted service.
The judge ordered that the court summons be pasted at JUAC’s office in the Area 11 Secretariat and also published in a national daily, ensuring the union cannot later claim ignorance of the proceedings.
The strike, declared by JUAC, had already begun to paralyse key administrative departments in the FCT, with workers demanding implementation of promotion arrears and other entitlements.