Wike Accuses FCT NLC Of Playing Politics, Threatens Striking Workers

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has claimed that the industrial action by the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress is politically motivated.

He said organised labour had already agreed on the issues raised and that they were being addressed.

Naija News reports that Wike spoke after a meeting with the chairmen of the six FCT area councils.

The minister also claimed that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) had distanced themselves from the strike.

Wike warned that the administration would enforce the “no work, no pay” policy against workers who participate in the industrial action, while insisting it had no outstanding issues with the area councils.

If you want to expose yourself, you are free to. But excuse yourself if you are not part of the union, so you don’t participate,” the minister said.

He added that the administration would implement the no-work, no-pay policy, arguing that the government had addressed labour’s demands.

“We have no issues with them at all, and they cannot tell the public that issues we have raised have not been addressed. Everything we have, we implement,” he said.

The minister questioned the rationale behind the strike, saying the administration could not understand why workers would strike despite what he described as efforts to resolve their grievances.

Wike further alleged that the FCT NLC chairman was pursuing a political agenda linked to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).