FCT Workers Speak On Fighting Wike Over Salaries, Allowances Cut

The workers in the Federal Capital Territory have said there is no issue with the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, over allowances and salaries cut.

The President of the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) of the FCT Administration (FCTA) and Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Matilukuro Oluwakorede, made this known in a statement over the weekend.

Oluwakorede was reacting to media reports claiming that workers in the FCT are groaning as Wike cuts salaries, and allowances amid inflation.

The JUAC president said the union loves the minister, adding that workers don’t have any issues against him for now.

Oluwakorede, therefore, urged the public to disregard the report in circulation, stating that it did not come from his union.

He said, “The public should disregard the information in circulation. It is not emanating from us. We have an internal issue; we had a meeting and agreed on the best way to manage the issue.

“We have nothing to do with what is trending online currently.

“We love our minister. We don’t have any issue against him as at this moment that I am talking to you, and I wish to be quoted anywhere.”

On the issue of the salary, Oluwakorede explained that JUAC had fought for some allowances, adding that the allowances were not budgeted for in the 2023 budget.

The JUAC president identified the allowances as a peculiar allowance, hazard allowance and “one or two other allowances like that.”

He explained that the allowances overshot the FCTA and FCDA personnel budget, adding that the FCTA management called the leadership of the committee regarding the issue.

Olwakorede added that it was all agreed at the meeting that the remaining funds in the vault should be used to pay October salary but may affect peculiar allowances.

He said: “We realized that the little fund remaining may affect peculiar allowance, and we say we don’t mind stepping it down by one month, while the FCT Administration does the needful against the remaining months.

“So that by November, we return to normalcy. So, I don’t know why journalists are just cashing out on this.

“But I wish to say unequivocally, that we don’t have any problem with our distinguished honourable minister or the minister of state or even the permanent secretary of FCTA.

“We are in a good relationship, and this decision that we have taken is in the best interest of staff generally.”