Protesting Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) “locked down” the office of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike on Thursday over demand for implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage.
The huge protest was to push for N70,000 minimum wage for Area Council workers, teachers, and health workers.
It saw scores of placard-waving workers take their grievances straight to the Minister’s doorstep.
The demonstration kicked off at Labour House in the Central Area, where a determined crowd of workers rallied before marching to Wike’s office in Area 11.
Chanting anti-government songs and brandishing signs, the protesters made their message clear: they would no longer tolerate delays in enforcing the new wage standard.
But the peaceful march took a dramatic turn when armed policemen stationed at the Minister’s office locked the main gate, barring the protesters from entering the premises.
Undeterred, the NLC and its supporters vowed to block staff members and officials from moving in or out until their demands were met.
“We are not leaving until Wike faces us!” one protester shouted, as the crowd’s resolve hardened in the face of the locked gates and police presence.
The standoff intensified when Mandate Secretary, Lawrence Garki, a senior management staff member, stepped forward to address the agitated workers.
His attempt at dialogue was swiftly drowned out by chants of “thief, thief,” as the protesters rejected his overtures and doubled down on their call for the Minister himself to address them.
Beyond the wage dispute, the NLC is also demanding the resignation or outright removal of the six Area Council Chairmen, whom they accused of turning a blind eye to the plight of council employees.
“These chairmen have shown no concern for our struggles,” an NLC spokesperson declared, amplifying the protesters’ frustration with local leadership.
As the standoff persisted, the locked gates of Wike’s office became “a battleground for a broader fight over workers’ rights in the FCT.”
