The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have officially shelved their planned mass protest in Abuja and directed all Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) employees to resume work immediately.

The decision was reached following a meeting between the unions, Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the senate committee on FCT.

The meeting commenced on Monday night and ended in the early hours of Tuesday.

In a statement released after the meeting, the unions said complaints of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) were fully addressed during the meeting.

The unions said it was agreed that all cases in the national industrial court pertaining to the dispute should be withdrawn.

“The honourable Minister assured Organised Labour of mutual respect and sustained engagement going forward,” the statement reads.

“It was agreed that, arising from the strike action, no worker shall be victimised in any manner.

“All outstanding cases at the National Industrial Court (NIC) shall be withdrawn immediately.

“Consequently, all JUAC members and all affiliates of the TUC and NLC working in the Ministry of the FCT (MFCT) are hereby directed to resume work immediately.

“All affiliates are enjoined to comply strictly with this directive in the interest of industrial peace and harmony in good faith.”

The statement was jointly signed by Nuru Toro, TUC secretary-general, and Benson Upah, acting NLC general secretary.

On Monday, a national industrial court in Abuja restrained NLC and TUC from embarking on the protest scheduled for Tuesday, February 3.

Emmanuel Subilim, the presiding judge, gave the ruling following an ex parte application filed by Wike and the FCTA.

An erstwhile president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has urged the Yoruba nation to begin immediate and deliberate preparations for political and economic relevance beyond President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure.

The eminent lawyer warned that the region cannot afford complacency while power remains at the centre.

He said the presidency would not remain in the Southwest indefinitely, stressing the need for strategic planning, unity, and purposeful leadership to safeguard the future of Yoruba land.

Olanipekun spoke yesterday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at a public lecture, titled: “Ondo State: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” at the International Culture and Events Centre (The Dome), as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of Ondo State.

The former NBA president noted that although President Tinubu may serve until 2031, the Southwest must start preparing for political happenings in the region afterwards.

“I’m not just asking us to prepare for post-2031 because President Tinubu will not be there forever. He will be there till 2031. So, we should be prepared for post-2031,” he said.

Olanipekun warned that internal division could weaken the Southwest’s influence in national politics, calling for stronger cohesion among political leaders, traditional rulers and stakeholders.

“We must hold ourselves together; stay united. There should be cohesion, unity, love, respect and thoughtfulness. Otherwise, the way I see it, we may be lost,” he added.

Olanipekun described development in the region as a collective responsibility that requires courage, strategic thinking and sustained engagement beyond partisan interests.

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said his administration was focused on strengthening existing institutions and laying foundations for long-term growth rather than creating new structures.

The governor emphasised reforms in key sectors, including health, education, and security.

He promised that the state security outfit, Amotekun Corps, would be further equipped and repositioned ahead of the proposed state policing framework.

“Amotekun has come to stay. We will make it work better, recruit more personnel and equip them. With state policing in view, it will be able to handle sophisticated weapons against bandits and marauders,” he said.

Aiyedatiwa also highlighted his administration’s plans to drive industrialisation, agriculture and the blue economy.

The governor noted that value addition to cocoa production through processing plants would boost the state’s revenue and job creation.

According to him, ongoing projects, such as the coastal highway and a proposed refinery, would transform the state’s economy, improve connectivity with Lagos and attract investments.

“The coastal highway is a game changer. It will drive industry and movement of people. Tourism, hospitality, health and education will naturally grow as development spreads,” the governor said.

He added that the state had adopted five-year and 10-year rolling development plans centred on human capital development, while youths had been engaged through an essay competition to envision Ondo’s future over the next 70 years.

“I won’t be here in 50 years anyway, but we are projecting to the future for the state as the one or the saddle at this time during this 50th year anniversary of the creation of the state. We have seen what the past leaders have done, their contributions, landmark projects, programmes and policies that have been driving the state before I became governor.

“We have to continue to strengthen that because that is a structure that we cannot change but to improve on that, which we call continuous service improvement, which I believe strongly in.

“We continue to strengthen our institutions, for example, you are not starting a new ministry of health, but you can make that one work better. You can’t create a new ministry of education; it’s been there, it’s a structure we can make more functional, to deliver better.”

SOURCE

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has issued an interim order restraining the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from proceeding with a mass protest scheduled for Tuesday, February 3.

The order was granted on Monday by Justice Emmanuel Subilim, following an ex parte application filed by Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The suit lists the NLC, TUC, and senior union officials — including Benson Upah, Nuhu Toro and Stephen Knabayi — as defendants, alongside the inspector-general of police, the FCT commissioner of police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

In the application, Wike and the FCTA asked the court to restrain the unions from organising any protest or industrial action against the FCTA, citing concerns over public safety, disruption of services and the potential breakdown of law and order in the capital.

According to the filing, the claimants argued that the planned protest would obstruct traffic, violate the rights of residents and visitors, and cripple government operations in Abuja. They also accused the unions of preparing to defy an existing court order by mobilising workers for demonstrations.

The court was urged to intervene to preserve industrial peace and ensure the continued delivery of essential services pending the hearing of the substantive motion.

Ogwu Onoja, counsel to the FCT minister, told the court that the planned protest violated an earlier directive of the court restraining industrial action.

Despite the pending litigation, the NLC and TUC had, on Sunday, called on members to prepare for a “solidarity rally” to the office of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in support of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC).

Background to the dispute

The dispute follows an indefinite strike launched by FCTA workers on January 19 over unresolved labour and welfare issues. The action shut down activities across FCTA and FCDA departments and agencies, prompting the minister to seek legal redress.

On January 27, the national industrial court ordered workers to suspend the strike, ruling that while the matter constituted a trade dispute, the right to industrial action was not absolute once a case had been brought before the court.

The judge held that any ongoing strike must cease pending the determination of the suit. Following the ruling, the office of the head of civil service in the FCTA directed workers to resume duty immediately.

The NLC, however, rejected the directive and asked its members to continue the strike, setting the stage for the latest court intervention.