Workers at the secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have shut down all offices following an indefinite strike declared by their umbrella union, the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC).
The union said the industrial action, which took effect from Monday, January 19, 2026, was necessitated by unresolved welfare issues and the alleged failure of the authorities to address long-standing demands.
In a statement dated January 8 and jointly signed by the JUAC President, Rifkatu Iortyer, and the Secretary, Abdullahi Saleh, the union said an earlier ultimatum issued on January 7 expired without any meaningful engagement from the management.
According to JUAC, the grievances include the non-payment of outstanding promotion arrears, delays in the conduct and release of promotion exercises, and the continued extension of service for retired directors and permanent secretaries.
The union argued that the practice was stalling career progression for serving officers.
JUAC also accused the administration of failing to remit statutory deductions, including pension contributions and National Housing Fund payments, warning that the lapses could jeopardise the future welfare of affected staff.
The union further expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2024 promotion examinations, describing the exercise as largely unsuccessful and alleging that a significant number of its members were unfairly affected.
JUAC maintained that the strike would continue until its demands were met.
Hours before the commencement of the industrial action, the union circulated a notice titled “Code Remain at Home,” urging staff to cooperate to ensure what it described as “agitations for better working conditions in the FCTA” succeeded.
“By this notice, all staff are advised to stay at home as the strike action declared by JUAC commences on Monday, January 19, 2026. Do not come to work, as the JUAC task force will be on the ground to ensure compliance,” the notice read in part.
The statement ended with solidarity slogans, including “Aluta Continua! Victoria Acerta!” and “Enough is enough!”
As of the time of filing this report, security operatives had been deployed to the secretariat to maintain law and order, while the FCTA management had yet to officially react to the development.
