Wike Urges FCT NULGE to Shelve Strike Plans

By: Wisdom Acka

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has waded into the crisis brewing between the Six Area Council chairmen and Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees over planned industrial action.

This is coming as NULGE had slated October 2nd, to embark on strike in solidarity with Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) that have been on strike since the resumption of schools in the Territory for 2023/2024 academic session.

Briefing journalists on Tuesday after a brief closed door meeting with Chairmen of the six Area Councils and officials of NULGE, Wike disclosed that a committee has been set up to resolve the issues within two weeks.

The Minister tasked all the parties involved to do the needful in the next 48 hours.

“We have set up a committee to come up with modalities on how the problem will be resolved,” he said.

His words: “We believe that NULGE is satisfied with the arrangements put on ground to resolve these issues. I believe that in the next 48 hours NULGE should do the needful because of the interest of the people.”

Fielding questions from Journalists after the meeting, Secretary, FCT Area Councils Services Secretariat, Bitrus Garki, said the issues bother around the 40% peculiar allowance, hazard allowance and other deductions that the Union was putting forward.

Garki said the issues range as far back as 2006 but the current Minister of the FCT was concerned on how to address them and other challenges the Area Councils are facing.

“The Minister has set up a 6-man Committee comprising of all the parties involved. From our discussion with NULGE, the union applauded the Minister for his speedy intervention through his quick response to its letter”, he said.

“We have agreed that the Union should call off the strike prior to the report of the Committee, from the 10th of next month”, he added.