The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Monday approved N12bn as January salaries for FCT administration workers.
This came as the National Industrial Court ordered the suspension of the workers’ strike that had paralysed activities in some government agencies.
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Wike, who announced the approval in his office, said the FCT received only one per cent of federal revenue allocation.
“I just signed January salaries amounting to over N12b. Yet the FCT is entitled to only one per cent of federal revenue. If the Federal Government earns N1tn, the FCT gets about N10b. That allocation alone cannot even cover salaries, not to talk of running the administration,” the minister told journalists at a briefing attended by THE WHISTLER.
According to him, the territory’s statutory allocation is structurally insufficient to sustain its wage bill, forcing the administration to rely mostly on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
He disclosed that FCT IGR has grown from about N9bn when he assumed office to roughly N30b, a jump he described as critical to keeping the system afloat.
He said, “When we take steps to improve IGR, people complain. But that progress is what sustains salaries, reforms, and development.”
Wike rejected suggestions that the administration was quick to litigate against labour unions. He said the government initially opted for dialogue when workers downed tools, believing the issues could be resolved without judicial intervention.
“When the strike started, we believed in dialogue. We felt the issues could be resolved through discussion,” he explained, adding that “But when it became clear that politicians have hijacked the strike, we had no choice but to go to court and allow the law to decide.”
The minister maintained that most of the workers’ demands had already been addressed, arguing that industrial action should be a last resort in a democracy.
“This is a democracy. Everyone has the right to protest. But if workers made 14 demands and government addressed like 10, there should be room for understanding and patience,” he said.
Wike said he understood labour agitation but cautioned against what he described as unrealistic expectations.
He said, “Government does not deny legitimate entitlements, especially wages. But it is not always possible to implement everything at once.”
Following the court order suspending the strike, the minister warned that defiance would attract sanctions.
“Disobeying the law has consequences. From tomorrow, any worker who refuses to resume work will face disciplinary action. Anyone who attempts to block government facilities will face the full weight of the law,” Wike warned
He further highlighted institutional reforms he said had expanded career progression for FCT workers. They include the creation of the FCT Civil Service Commission, the appointment of permanent secretaries, and the establishment of the Office of the Head of Service, changes that now allow civil servants to rise beyond director level.
Quoting him, “Before now, workers retired at director level. But they can now rise to Permanent Secretary. This was made possible by the Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
He argued that governance requires balancing wage obligations with infrastructure development, warning against a model where all revenues are consumed by salaries alone.
“You cannot expect government to spend all available revenue on wages while neglecting massive infrastructure development,” the minister noted.
The minister also dismissed reports that he was chased out of his office during the strike, describing them as politically motivated misinformation.
He said, “I was in my office, went to the airport to see Mr President, travelled to Turkey, and returned. These stories are deliberate misinformation.”
“No amount of blackmail or political games will intimidate this administration. We will obey the court, and everyone else must do the same.”