“Wike is Not a Blessing to Us, He’s a Disaster” — Workers Protest in Nigeria’s Capital Over Unpaid Wages, Poor Working Conditions

Staff members of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in Abuja barricaded the entrance to the FCTA Secretariat on Monday morning, demanding the immediate removal of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over what they described as gross neglect of staff welfare and deteriorating working conditions.

The protest, which began in the early hours, brought operations within the FCTA complex to a standstill.

Workers from multiple departments converged at the complex gate, wielding placards, chanting protest songs and decrying what they described as worsening hardship under Wike’s leadership.

In different interviews seen online during the protest, the workers listed several grievances, including unpaid wage award arrears, persistent delays in staff promotions, a complete lack of training opportunities, and the continued absence of basic work materials.

According to them, these issues have reached a breaking point under the current minister’s administration.

Wike is not a blessing to us, rather, he’s a disaster to those of us staff in the FCT here. We receive our salaries on the 5th/6th day of the following month after, a staff said.

The demonstrators argued that the current leadership has not only failed to prioritise staff welfare but has also deepened operational inefficiencies across the board.

They claim the minister’s tenure has been characterised by highhandedness, lack of engagement with civil service structures, and a disregard for the everyday realities of workers.

Protesters at the scene told reporters that the protest was a culmination of months of unheeded complaints and broken promises from the FCTA management and ministerial leadership.

Recall last week Monday, social media critic, Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, staged a protest at the entrance of the residence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, in Abuja.

The protest follows Wike’s announcement of plans to withhold 10 per cent of the statutory allocation to area councils due to their failure to implement the new minimum wage for primary school teachers. This issue led to the strike.

Read Also: Hawker Shot at Close Range by Kenya Police During Youth-Led Protests Declared Brain Dead

You Can’t Tax a Dead Economy: Nigeria Is Suffocating Under Its Own Policies

About The Author

Oluwasegun Sanusi

author

See author's posts