The protesting workers also demanded the full implementation of the FCT Civil Service Commission Law, 2018, which provides for the appointment of a permanent secretary from the FCTA.

The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in October 2023 disclosed that he had received the approval of President Bola Tinubu for the establishment of the Civil Service Commission of the Federal Capital Territory.

Wike had explained that the development would allow career progression for civil servants in the FCT Administration to become permanent secretaries, noting that the workers had lost hope, as they could not attain the position of director in their careers, because there was no CSC for FCT.

The Office of the Head of Service of the Federation had announced Tinubu’s approval for the posting of 24 permanent secretaries in Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, including Dr. Magdalene Ajani, who was redeployed from the Transportation Ministry to the FCTA to replace the current permanent secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, who would retire on January 29, 2024.

Speaking on behalf of the protesting workers in Abuja on Monday, JUAC President, Mr Matilukuro Korede, challenged the deployment, which he described as an aberration of the FCT CSC Law, noting that the Federal Executive Council had in October 2023, approved the implementation of the law establishing a CSC for FCT.

Korede said that because of this development, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, had no power to appoint a Permanent Secretary for the FCT, describing her actions as faulty, and called for the full implementation of the FCT CSC Law.