*Some Staff Members Speak Up, Hail Wike
*Exercise Trails Last Strike Which Paralyzed Activities
By Felix Durumbah, Abuja
Thousands of joyful workers of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will in the morning, today, kick off writing their 2025 promotion examination toward a much-desired career uplift as FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, moves to shore up necessary motivation among the about 40,000-strong workforce.
The examination, which will see all eligible staff members from grade levels 05-16 (that is, junior to Deputy Director cadres) take turns for 10 days, is billed to take place at the National Open University of Nigeria Study Centre, Dutse-Alhaji, along Kubwa Expressway, beside Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSN).
It could not be ascertained if there will be armed security beef-up at the venue, given the uncertain situation in the land presently.
The examination, it was gathered, will test candidates’ knowledge of global/national general affairs, professional competence and other areas.
A circular, with reference inscriptions FCT/ CSC/ COMM/S. 192/ Vol. 1/ 179, obtained by People&Politics and titled ‘Re: FCTA 2025 Promotion Examination Time Table’, signed by Chairman, FCT Civil Service Commission, and dated 29th June, 2026, gave further details of the examination.
Referencing an earlier circular dated 1 June, 2026 on the same matter, Ezeh stated that all arrangements have been concluded for the examination.
The circular added: “The list of all eligible officers has been published on the Commission (sic) website (fctcsc.gov.ng) and staff log-in details are as indicated in the letter of regularization of appointment.”
It directed all eligible officers to show up for the examination “on scheduled dates for their cadres” with three vital documents, namely, the original of letter of regularization of appointment; means of identification,further listing the latter to include staff identity card, international passport, valid national driver’s license, voter’s card and others; and also, that all officers should copy their log-in details from the website.
The circular, copied to several ranking officers of FCTA such as Chief of Staff to the Minister, Head of FCT Civil Service, all Mandate Secretaries (equivalent of State Commissioners), Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), all Permanent Secretaries, and others, urged them to “bring the content of this circular to all concerned for compliance.”
Eligible Workers Speak
People&Politics visited the FCTA headquarters located on 1 Kapital Road, Area 11, Garki, Abuja to gauge the opinion of some FCTA staff members on the exercise.
A worker, who cannot be named because he is not authorized to speak to the press, expressed joy that he would be sitting for the examination.
“For sometime, I had been very frustrated because there has been no career progression for me. When the Minister came in 2023 and for years after that, there was no promotion exercise of any sort, I was dejected and felt my career was being shattered because I had been due for promotion for long before now.
“It is my ambition to retire as a Director or, at least, at directorate cadre, but how can this be if I don’t get promoted? I thank God Almighty and our labour unions,which fought for this exercise through this year’s strike. Now, I have a chance to move up,” he said.
Also speaking, a female member of staff said: “Our Minister Wike should be commended for this exercise, which will help restore confidence and also motivate us.
“What is civil service without promotions? Those who are Perm Secs today did not get there without going through promotion process. I don’t want to end my career as a level 10 officer, so this promotion exercise is very welcome. Besides, if I pass –and I’m sure of passing the exam –, my salary will be increased, a massive bonus at this time of crushing cost-of-living crisis to most salary-earning workers.
“Though there are other areas of great need, but I commend Wike for this exercise.”
Background To Exercise
People&Politics recalls that the issue of non-promotion of employees was one of the vexed matters which sparked an about two-week strike by the workers beginning 19 January, 2026.
The industrial action, called by the workers’ umbrella Joint Unions Action Congress (JUAC) and later backed by both the parent Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), effectively paralyzed activities in FCTA –which is constitutionally the government of the nation’s capital and houses, among others, the Presidency, National Assembly, Judiciary, military top brass, foreign embassies, international bodies, and other sensitive entities.
As taps in homes, offices and foreign diplomatic missions ran dry; time-bound vital land documents could no longer be processed; schools shut their gates to students and angry parents; public hospitals were forced to run not at full hilt; unattended-to drainages began to ooze terrible stink, raising the spectre of epidemic outbreak; streets were left unswept; and other public services provided by the staff members degenerated badly, Wike headed for the National Industrial Court (NIC) and obtained an injunction declaring the strike illegal and ordering the workers back to work.
But, the Minister probably did not reckon with the resilience of the workers as they too approached the Court of Appeal and secured an order quashing the verdict of the NIC.
Amid the lingering impasse replete with threats and rhetoric, it took the intervention of the Senate to end the bitter strike.
On Tuesday, 3 February, 2026, the feuding parties agreed to halt all proceedings with labour immediately calling off the strike as the employees resumed work.
Since then, some of the demands of the workers, including promotion exercises, are being met.
*PHOTO CAPTION: A cross section of FCTA workers about to start a computer-based promotion examination… recently.
