Wike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, has taken steps to have striking workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) committed to prison for alleged contempt of court.
The move followed the decision of the workers to resume their industrial action despite an order of the National Industrial Court stopping the strike pending the determination of a suit instituted against them by the FCT Minister.
Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Sublimi of the National Industrial Court had on January 27 ordered the workers to suspend their strike action after Wike approached the court, urging it to compel them to return to work. The order was made in line with provisions of the Trade Disputes Act, which requires that industrial action be halted once a dispute has been referred to the court.
However, four days after the order was served, the workers reportedly resumed the strike, prompting the FCT Minister to activate contempt proceedings against them.
To underscore his resolve, Wike, through his legal team, obtained Form 48 — a statutory notice of consequence of disobedience of court order — which warns of possible imprisonment for defying the directive of the court. The form was procured by Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on behalf of the minister.
The notice, dated January 29 and signed by the Registrar of the National Industrial Court, Mr. Olajide Balogun, cautioned the workers that failure to comply with the January 27 order would amount to contempt of court and could lead to their committal to prison.
The court order restrained the workers from continuing the strike until the suit filed by the FCT Minister is heard and determined. In his ruling, Justice Sublimi held that once a dispute is brought before the National Industrial Court, all forms of industrial action must be suspended.
Relying on Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Disputes Act, the judge explained that the law prioritises industrial peace and public interest, stressing that failure to comply with the Act could attract sanctions. He noted that the inconvenience caused by suspending the strike was outweighed by the need to maintain order and ensure proper resolution of the dispute.
The striking workers, however, justified their action on the ground that they had filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging the ruling. Wike’s legal team dismissed the argument, insisting that the filing of an appeal does not automatically operate as a stay of execution.
According to the minister’s lawyers, only an express order staying the execution of the Industrial Court’s ruling can justify a resumption of the strike. They advised the workers to obey the subsisting court order to avoid legal consequences.
“Court orders are not made in vain. They are meant to be obeyed for sanity to prevail in society,” the senior lawyer stated in court documents.
Justice Sublimi has adjourned the substantive suit to March 25, 2026, for hearing.
The FCTA workers, alongside those of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), had embarked on the industrial action on January 19, shutting down major activities across Abuja over what they described as unmet demands by the Federal Government. The strike disrupted operations across FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils and parastatals within the FCT.
