Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under the umbrella of the Joint Union Action Congress, have called on authorities to urgently address what they described as persistent welfare challenges that are undermining staff morale, productivity, and service delivery.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday in Abuja, the union said the unresolved issues had lingered for years and now required immediate intervention to avert further disruption across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The appeal was made by the union’s President, Mrs. RifkatuIortyer, who said the briefing was convened to formally draw the attention of the FCT Administration to long-standing and widespread problems affecting workers across the system, while pressing for swift corrective measures in the interest of effective governance.
Addressing journalists, Mrs. Iortyer listed key concerns to include the non-remittance of pension and National Housing Fund deductions, the lack of overhead allocations, and what she described as the unlawful restriction and centralisation of salary preparation and payment.
“We demand that all salary desk officers in the various secretariats, departments, and agencies (SDAs) be allowed to prepare the salaries of their respective SDAs,” she said.
She also condemned the non-payment of allowances to officers of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board and the Social Development Secretariat who are engaged in the enforcement of laws and government policies, describing the situation as unfair and deeply demoralising.
According to her, other critical issues include the absence of clearly defined financial thresholds for Permanent Secretaries and heads of SDAs, as well as the continued stay in office of some directors and Permanent Secretaries who, she said, had already reached retirement age.
“We demand the immediate removal of these officers and their replacement with qualified and deserving personnel,” Mrs. Iortyer said.
The union president further highlighted the non-payment of outstanding wage awards, unpaid promotion arrears, poor working conditions, staff intimidation, and inadequate training and retention policies as part of the unresolved welfare challenges confronting workers.
She added that workers had also rejected the mass failure recorded in the 2024 promotion examination and called for an immediate reversal of the results.
“These issues are not new. They have been festering for far too long, causing hardship and frustration to workers who have dedicated their lives to serving this nation,” she said.
Mrs. Iortyer warned that the union would continue to speak out until concrete action was taken, stressing that the demands went beyond labour concerns.
“We are not just fighting for the rights of workers, but for the future of the FCT Administration and our nation,” she said.
