Barrister Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has requested that the National Industrial Court issue an order committing the striking employees of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to prison for allegedly disobeying court orders.
The workers’ disobedience to the court’s order stemmed from their decision to resume their strike in spite of the court’s January 27 order to halt it until the outcome of the lawsuit brought against them by the FCT Minister.
The FCT Minister obtained form 48, a court document outlining the penalties for disobeying the Industrial Court’s judgment, to be handed to the striking workers in order to show his disapproval of their treatment of the order.
On behalf of Wike, legal expert Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) of the Bar and Bench Chambers in Abuja, secured form 48, which requires the employees to comply with court orders or face legal imprisonment.
“Notice of Consequence of disobedience of order of Court” is the title of form 48, and contempt charges would follow.
“Take note that you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison if you do not obey the directions contained in the order of Honourable Justice E. D. Sublimi of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria delivered on January 27, 2026.”
The Industrial Court Registrar, Mr. Olajide Balogun, signed the notice of consequences for violating the January 29 court decision.
On January 27, Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Sublimi of the National Industrial Court ordered Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) employees to halt their industrial action while the FCT Minister’s original summons was heard and decided.
The judge’s decision came after the FCT Minister, via Ogwu James Onoja SAN, requested a court order requiring the striking FCTA employees to resume their jobs.
Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh, the president and secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), were named as respondents in the lawsuit by the FCT Minister.
Justice Subilim had concluded that industrial action, including strikes, must be suspended after a matter has been referred to the National Industrial Court.
The court had observed, using Section 18(1)E of the Trade disagreement Act, that the suspension ensured the disagreement was appropriately resolved and that continuing strikes must cease upon the commencement of a suit by originating summons, which constitutes a referral.
The judge went on to say that violating Section 18 of the Act could result in penalties.
He highlighted that the public interest in maintaining industrial peace surpasses any inconvenience created by postponing the strike.
Nevertheless, the employees have not yet respected or complied with the court’s ruling four days after it was served to them.
The notice of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal against Justice Sublimi’s decision served as the basis for the striking workers’ renewal of their strike, but Wike’s legal team denied the assertion.
The Onoja SAN legal team argued that the workers have no right to resume the strike until there is a specific court order delaying the implementation of the Industrial Court verdict. They also recommended the workers to uphold the law in order to prevent the court’s wrath.
In the court documents, the senior attorney states that “court orders are not made in vain.” For society to be sanitary, they must be followed.
Recall that Justice Sublimi postponed the hearing on the substantive subject to March 25, 2026, following the issuance of the restraining order against the strike action.
Due to what they called “unmet demands” from the Federal Government, employees of the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority began an industrial action on January 19 and shut down operations throughout Abuja.
All FCTA departments, secretariats, agencies, area councils, and parastatals were impacted by the strike.
