Wike Wants FCTA Striking Workers Sent To Prison

THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has applied for an order of the National Industrial Court (NIC) to commit the striking workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to prison over their alleged disobedience to order of the court.
The workers have failed to suspend their industrial action, as the court ordered on January 27 by the court, until the determination of the suit instituted against them by the minister, but instead resuming their strike.
The inister has obtained Form 48, a legal document of court, which spelt out the consequences of violating order of court, to be served on the striking workers.
The form, titled, ‘Notice of Consequence of disobedience of order of Court,’ was obtained by his Counsel, Ogwu James Onoja (SAN), to compel the workers to obey order of court or be committed to jail, as stipulated by law, and would be followed with contempt charges.
It reads: “Take note that unless you obey the directions contained in the order of Honourable Justice E. D. Sublimi of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, delivered 27th day of January 2026, you will be guilty of the contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”
The notice, dated January 29, was signed by the Registrar of the court, Olajide Balogun.
Justice Subilim held that industrial action, including strikes, must be suspended once a dispute has been referred to the court, citing Section 18(1)E of the Trade Dispute Act.
The Judge ruled that failure to comply with Section 18 of the Act may attract sanctions, stressing that the public interest in maintaining industrial peace outweighs any inconvenience caused by suspending the strike.
Four days after the order was served on them, the workers had yet to respect or obey it, on the basis that a notice of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal against the ruling, a claim Onoja rejected, saying unless there is an express order of court staying the execution of the court ruling, the workers have no basis to resume the strike.
He advised them to be law abiding citizens and avoid incurring the wrath of court, insisting: “Court orders are not made in vain; they are made to be obeyed for sanity to prevail in the society.”
The workers of the FCTA and Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), on January 19, commenced the strike, shutting down activities across Abuja, over what they described as “unmet demands” by the Federal Government.
The strike affected all FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils and parastatals under FCTA.