ABUJA – Tensions flared in Abuja on Thursday as members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) shut down the office of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, demanding the immediate implementation of a N70,000 minimum wage for Area Council staff, teachers, and health workers.
The protest began at Labour House, with workers marching in large numbers to the minister’s office in Area 11. Chanting and carrying placards, they were met with locked gates and armed police blocking access.
Undeterred, the demonstrators occupied the premises and vowed to halt all official activities until their demands were addressed.
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“We want Wike to come out himself!” protesters shouted, rejecting attempts by the Mandate Secretary, Lawrence Garki, to speak on behalf of the minister. He was booed and drowned out with chants of “thief, thief.”
Beyond the wage demand, the workers also called for the removal of the six Area Council Chairmen, accusing them of neglecting the welfare of employees under their jurisdiction.