Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under the aegis of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), shut the gates of the FCTA Secretariat on Monday in protest over unresolved welfare concerns.

Some concerns raised by JUAC president Rifkatu Iortyer include the non-payment of overhead costs to run offices since December 2024, lack of staff training and retraining, and the absence of promotions.

Other issues raised were salary payment inconsistencies and the prolonged strike by primary healthcare workers and teachers.

Ms Iortyer stated that the protest would continue until the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, addressed the workers.

She said the union would reconvene to decide its next action if no action is taken after three days.

While acknowledging Mr Wike’s reform efforts, particularly the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, which allowed career progression to the rank of Permanent Secretary, she commended the step as a significant achievement.

However, she stressed that workers’ welfare remained severely neglected, leaving many in a state of despair.

 “We are protesting for so many things, and we are not happy.

“We no longer go on training. Since December, there has been no overhead to run offices. We move from office to office just to borrow paper to work,” Ms Iortyer said.

She also noted that, apart from the appointment of permanent secretaries, there had been no promotions since August 2023, when the administration cleared an earlier backlog.

Mr Iortyer further decried the non-payment of casual workers, particularly those from the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), since December 2024.

“These are the people who sweep the streets and attend to cemeteries and mortuaries.

“They may not be career civil servants, but they are human beings with families. If FCTA doesn’t want casual workers, it should absorb them fully into the system,” she said.

Although primary schools fall under the jurisdiction of the area councils, Ms Iortyer called on Mr Wike, as the “father of all,” to intervene and resolve the ongoing strike by teachers.

She reiterated that the protest would last for three days, after which further actions would be determined if no response was received.

As of the time of filing this report, no FCTA official had addressed the protesting workers.

(NAN)