Union Blocks Wike’s Convoy, Court Adjourns Ruling on Bid to Stop Strike

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Protesting members of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) yesterday barricaded the secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory and prevented the movement of the convoy of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as the indefinite strike by the workers  entered the sixth day.

The minister had to covertly exit the complex through the Ministry of Agriculture gate on his  way to the International Airport to bid President Bola Tinubu farewell to Turkiye on an official engagement.

Meanwhile the National Industrial Court (NICN), sitting in Abuja, has adjourned until today for ruling on a motion seeking to stop the FCTA workers from continuing their ongoing strike.

The court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Subilim approved the matter for ruling after hearing the arguments of both the counsel to the FCT minister and the workers, who stormed the court in large numbers.

Whereas Mr. James Onoja (SAN) announced his appearance for both the FCT minister and the FCTA, who were claimants in the matter, Mr. Maxwell Opara represented the defendants.

The President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Saleh, were cited as defendants in the suit marked: NICN/ABJ/17/2026, wherein the FCTA, among other things, sought a pronouncement of the court, compelling the striking workers to return to their duty posts.

The workers had embarked on an industrial action over alleged grievances including, mass failure in a promotion examination, unpaid salaries, unremitted pension contributions, among other working conditions in the FCT.

At the resumed proceedings in the matter, counsel to the defendants, Opara, prayed the court to also join the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as defendants.

He argued that their inclusion would ensure that they would be bound by any order the court would make in the matter.

However, the claimant lawyer, Onoja opposed the application, insisting that the matter could be effectively decided without the NLC and the TUC. His ground for objection was that the suit was properly constituted, stressing that the two defendants on record were not registered under the Trade Union Act.

He urged the court to accede to prayers in the suit by directing the striking workers to immediately resume their duties, lamenting that the ongoing industrial action had crippled essential services within the FCTA.

However, Justice Subilim declined to join the NLC and TUC as defendants in the suit and adjourned the case till today to rule on the request for a restraining order. He held that since the two unions were not sued by the claimants, it would not be the place of the court to order their inclusion as defendants in the matter.