The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has moved to have striking workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) committed to prison for allegedly defying a court order suspending their industrial action.
The move followed an order by Justice Emmanuel Sublimi of the National Industrial Court on January 27, which instructed the workers to halt their strike pending the hearing and determination of a suit filed by Wike.
Despite this directive, the workers resumed industrial action, prompting the minister to seek enforcement of the court’s ruling.
Wike’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ogwu Onoja, obtained Form 48, a notice detailing the consequences of disobeying the court order.
The document warned the striking workers that continued defiance could result in contempt of court charges and imprisonment.
The notice, titled “Consequence of Disobedience of Court Order”, was issued on January 29 and signed by the court registrar, Olajide Balogun.
The minister’s action targeted the President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh, named as respondents in the suit.
Justice Sublimi had emphasised that industrial action must be suspended once a dispute is referred to the Industrial Court, citing Section 18(1)E of the Trade Dispute Act, which allows sanctions for non-compliance.
While the workers argued that a pending appeal at the Court of Appeal justifies their resumption of the strike, Wike’s legal team dismissed the claim.
The lawyers insisted that without an express court order staying the Industrial Court ruling, the strike remains unlawful and urged workers to comply with the law to avoid legal consequences.
The development underscores rising tensions between the FCT administration and its workforce, highlighting the judiciary’s role in maintaining industrial peace while balancing the rights of workers to protest.
