Workers Strike Paralyzes Customer Services At FCTA Agencies

Customers and visitors were left stranded and unattended to at some of the strategic Federal Capital Territory Administrations agencies such as the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB ), Department of Development Control and the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS ).

This followed a 3 day warning strike initiated by the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) to press home their demands.

The industrial action, which has crippled businesses and government activities in the FCT, would be exacerbated after school teachers and health workers fulfil their promises of joining the ongoing strike.

The workers accused the administration of double-standards, saying that government that claim to be transparent cannot continue to retain a Permanent Secretary deployed from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, against the spirit and intent of FCT Civil Service Commission Act signed by the President three years ago.

It was alleged that the serving Permanent Secretary who was deployed from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation is occupying an illegal position, because the Act provides for an FCT Head of Service instead.

Chairman of Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) in FCTA and FCDA, Comrade Matilukoro Korede, said that the administration had ignored the workers agitation for the implementation of the Act and other issues that border on workers welfare for too long.

He noted that the strike actions is likely going to be indefinite, until the administration heeds the call to implement the Act.

While he insisted that JUAC had severally called the attention of government and other stakeholders to the existence of Executive Order 1 of 2004, even before the passage of the FCT Civil Service Commission Bill by National Assembly and it’s subsequent signing into law, he asserted that refusal to implement the law, has a very adverse effects on workers.

“This is three years down the line, the big question is why has it been difficult to implement it till date,” he queried.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the angry workers’ outrage over non-implementation of the FCT Civil Service Commission Act, is becoming louder now because the Permanent Secretary who is perceived to be occupying an illegal position is also stifling administrative procedures.

It was also revealed that the current Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola has adopted several beaurecratic stife-neck policies, as well as procedural obstacles which the workers are not very comfortable with.

This news medium also gathered that the Union leaders are bent on pressing for the implementation of the Executive Order 1, so that a Head of Service who understands the plight of workers can emerge.