Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has drawn a battle line with striking teachers and civil servants taking part in an indefinite strike action declared by the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The minister directed chairmen of the six area councils to enforce the “no work, no pay” policy against the striking workers.

Wike gave the directive during the weekend after an administrative meeting in Abuja, describing the strike as politically motivated and insisting that the issues raised by organised labour had been addressed and agreed measures were being implemented.

He maintained that the FCT Administration had no outstanding dispute with the area councils, local education authorities or primary schools, warning that the government would not tolerate what he described as political blackmail.

“We want to state categorically and let it be known to the public: this so-called strike declaration is political, and we will not accept it. We will not accept it because there’s no basis for anybody to call for a strike.

“We don’t have any issue with the local government areas, local education authorities, or primary schools,” the minister said.

Wike further claimed that some stakeholders in the education sector, including representatives of senior primary school teachers, had rejected the industrial action because they considered it unnecessary.

“The body of senior primary school teachers have said no, they cannot be party to this strike, that it’s uncalled for.

“All the things they are talking about have been agreed upon and are being implemented, so why do we go on strike? They said, ‘No, we cannot be part of this, we have no problem,’” he said.

Addressing the workers’ grievances, the minister said the process of resolving promotion-related issues was ongoing, while matters concerning directors were being handled through established administrative procedures.

He directed the area council chairmen to ensure that teachers and other civil servants returned to their duty posts, warning that salaries would be withheld for periods during which workers participated in the strike.

“I have directed the area councils to go back and call their teachers and civil servants. If anybody does this, we’ll implement ‘no work, no pay.’

“Enough is enough; we can’t continue with this,” Wike said.

The minister also accused the FCT NLC chairman of allowing partisan political interests to influence the union’s activities, alleging that he had contested an area council election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Wike claimed the strike was intended to portray the FCT as being in crisis, particularly by creating the impression that schools were shut ahead of elections.

“If you ask who the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress is, he was a former Area Council candidate of the ADC in the last election.

“You can see his interest trying to see that FCT is in crisis, and then wants to use it as a political tool—that FCT teachers are at home, nobody is teaching students, so how can you now go for elections when pupils are at home?” he said.

He urged the NLC chairman to separate union leadership from partisan politics, arguing that anyone seeking political office should relinquish their position in the labour movement.

“We cannot accept that blackmail. If you want to involve yourself in politics, you are free to do so, but excuse yourself from the leadership of the union so you don’t politicise it,” the minister added.

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