FCTA Workers Threaten Strike, Demand Removal of Permanent Secretary

The Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) in the Federal Capital
Territory Administration (FCTA) and Federal Capital Development
Authority (FCDA) has threatened an indefinite industrial action if
the current Permanent Secretary posted from the Office of the Civil
Service of the Federation, Mr. Olusade Adesola, is not removed, to
pave way for the implementation of the Executive Order 1 of 2004
and ratification of the FCT Civil Service Commission Act.

The workers also demanded the removal of all FCTA staff from the
Accountant General of the Federation’s Integrated Personnel and
Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

The Chairman of JUAC, Matilukoro Korode, who listed all these
demands, said the unions would paralyse government activities if
their demands are not met.

He urged the FCT Minister, Mohammed Musa Bello, to immediately
implement the Act, which was signed three years ago by President
Muhammadu Buhari.

The union noted that the Executive Order 1 of 2004 which
abolished the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
before the signing of the Act has provided a career path for
qualified FCT workers to be appointed permanent secretary as well
as the FCT Head of Service, as obtained in all the states.

He lamented that without the implementation of the Act, FCT
workers would perpetually be limited in growing at par with workers
at other states.

“It was a huge relief when the National Assembly harkened to the
voice of the staff of the FCTA, enacted and passed into law and
gazetted (with the consent of the president) the FCT-Civil Service
Commission Act in 2018,” Korode said.

He wondered why three years after it has remained difficult to
implement the FCT-Civil Service Commission that was created by an
Act of Parliament like the Federal Civil Service Commission and the
States Civil Service Commission, with the primary responsibility of
appointment.

Other demands of the workers included the immediate release of
all pending cases of conversion, upgrading and advancement as well
as the abolishment of casualisation of workers in FCTA, especially
in the Transportation Secretariat, Water Board and the Abuja
Environmental Protection Board.

The Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) in the Federal Capital
Territory Administration (FCTA) and Federal Capital Development
Authority (FCDA) has threatened an indefinite industrial action if
the current Permanent Secretary posted from the Office of the Civil
Service of the Federation, Mr. Olusade Adesola, is not removed, to
pave way for the implementation of the Executive Order 1 of 2004
and ratification of the FCT Civil Service Commission Act.

The workers also demanded the removal of all FCTA staff from the
Accountant General of the Federation’s Integrated Personnel and
Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

The Chairman of JUAC, Matilukoro Korode, who listed all these
demands, said the unions would paralyse government activities if
their demands are not met.

He urged the FCT Minister, Mohammed Musa Bello, to immediately
implement the Act, which was signed three years ago by President
Muhammadu Buhari.

The union noted that the Executive Order 1 of 2004 which
abolished the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
before the signing of the Act has provided a career path for
qualified FCT workers to be appointed permanent secretary as well
as the FCT Head of Service, as obtained in all the states.

He lamented that without the implementation of the Act, FCT
workers would perpetually be limited in growing at par with workers
at other states.

“It was a huge relief when the National Assembly harkened to the
voice of the staff of the FCTA, enacted and passed into law and
gazetted (with the consent of the president) the FCT-Civil Service
Commission Act in 2018,” Korode said.

He wondered why three years after it has remained difficult to
implement the FCT-Civil Service Commission that was created by an
Act of Parliament like the Federal Civil Service Commission and the
States Civil Service Commission, with the primary responsibility of
appointment.

Other demands of the workers included the immediate release of
all pending cases of conversion, upgrading and advancement as well
as the abolishment of casualisation of workers in FCTA, especially
in the Transportation Secretariat, Water Board and the Abuja
Environmental Protection Board.