January 27, (THEWILL) — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has warned striking workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) that any further disruption of government activities will be met with “the big stick.”
The warning follows a Tuesday ruling by the National Industrial Court ordering an immediate suspension of the nearly two-week-old industrial action.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on January 27, 2026, Wike emphasized that while he is open to “reasonable dialogue,” the era of using the strike as a tool for blackmail is over. ”
The court has called off the strike. If anybody dares to block the gate again, I will use that person as a scapegoat because you must obey the law,” the Minister declared.
“From tomorrow (Wednesday), if you don’t come to work, we are going to apply the big stick.”
Wike dismissed the strike as an action “hijacked by politicians” intent on destabilizing the FCT.
He insisted that the administration has already addressed over 10 of the 14 demands raised by the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), including the payment of December wage awards and the processing of January 2026 salaries.
He also pointed to the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission and the appointment of the territory’s first Head of Service as evidence of his commitment to workers’ welfare.
Earlier on Tuesday, Justice Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court granted an interlocutory injunction against JUAC President Rifkatu Iortyer and Secretary Abdullahi Saleh.
The judge ruled that under the Trade Disputes Act, all industrial actions must cease once a dispute has been formally referred to the court. The matter has been adjourned to March 23, 2026, for hearing.
In a defiant reaction, however, some JUAC members described their next move as a “stay-at-home” action rather than a strike.
“We are no longer on strike, but we are in our houses. Tell them Wike has won, but we are not resuming work until our demands are met,” a union representative stated.
The strike, which began on January 19, had paralyzed administrative services across the FCTA and escalated on Monday when the FCT wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) joined the shutdown, closing public primary and secondary schools across the capital.
Wike, however, maintained that his administration’s focus remains on infrastructure and reform, noting that FCT’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has soared from ₦9 billion to ₦30 billion under his leadership.
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