By our reporter
Implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s wage award to workers in Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) continues to be a thorny issue.
This is because the Administration led by FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has reportedly not paid five months’ of the bulk of arrears of the money, which is meant to cushion the dire effects of President Tinubu’s removal of petrol subsidy on 29 May, 2023.
Recall that in October 2023, Tinubu approved a N35,000 monthly provisional wage award meant for federal workers for six months in the first instance.
Apparently riled by alleged non-payment of five months’ arrears, FCTA workers under their umbrella Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), at an extraordinary session on Tuesday, 16 December, 2025, gave the Administration “up to close of work” on Wednesday, 17 December (yesterday), 2025, to pay “the approved and agreed” arrears.
The union warned that it cannot guarantee industrial harmony beyond the deadline.
However, People&Politics, which has been closely following developments in FCTA, gathered today that after the expiration of the ultimatum, union leaders met to review the situation and decide on next course of action.
It was learned that at the meeting the union leadership decided to give FCTA authorities some more time, “till middle of January 2026”, to pay, failing which workers may down tools.
A source who requested anonymity, further told People&Politics that FCTA staff members are “very frustrated” by the Administration leadership’s manner of attending to staff welfare matters,citing other examples, aside the wage award matter.
Recall also that FCTA workers had on June 30-2 July, 2025, embarked on a warning protest to drive home their demands for better welfare package, regular payment of statutory fiscal overhead to heads of departments, promotions and implementation of other work incentives many of which were taken for granted before Minister Wike assumed office in 2023.
In response, the Administration addressed the grievances, many in part. For instance, rather than pay overhead in full, heads of departments are paid 50% presently, even then irregularly with several months separating one payment from the next.
Another is the vexed wage award,where five months are allegedly being owed currently.
Calls put through to Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Mr Lere Olayinka, were not answered. SMS and WhatsApp messages also forwarded to his phone number, were not responded to as of press time.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Wike.
