Wike Appeals for Understanding as FCT Workers Continue Strike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has appealed to striking workers of the FCT Administration to exercise patience and understanding, assuring them that the government is making efforts to address their demands.

Wike made the appeal while addressing journalists in his office in Abuja on Tuesday.

The minister said that when workers make several demands and the government is able to meet some while committing to review the rest, there should be room for dialogue and patience.

According to him, if workers present 14 demands and the government successfully addresses 10 of them, it is reasonable to allow time for the remaining issues to be resolved.

Wike noted that all relevant stakeholders, including security agencies and the FCT Administration, had engaged the workers, adding that further discussions revealed that the issues were more complex than initially perceived.

Drawing from his experience as a former governor of Rivers State for eight years, Wike said governments are often willing to meet legitimate workers’ demands, but full implementation may sometimes be constrained by available resources.

He stressed that the administration would begin with what is feasible while working towards addressing the outstanding demands.

The minister dismissed claims that the government deliberately withholds workers’ entitlements, particularly wages, describing such allegations as incorrect.

He disclosed that over N5 billion had been earmarked for payments, noting that the December salaries had been paid, January payments were underway, and February salaries would also be settled.

Wike assured workers that the government had no intention of denying anyone their rightful earnings and reiterated his commitment to resolving the industrial dispute through constructive engagement.