Wike Says Paying Salary Arrears Could Exhaust FCT Funds
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that paying outstanding salaries and arrears owed to FCT workers could significantly deplete available funds, affecting the government’s ability to execute capital projects.
Wike made the statement while responding to concerns over unpaid salaries and arrears owed to workers under the FCT Administration (FCTA).
“If we bring out the whole money to pay salaries and outstanding arrears, the whole money will finish. How would we buy vehicles and construct roads?” the minister was quoted as saying.
The comment comes amid ongoing tensions between the FCTA and labour unions over delayed payments, which have led to industrial actions affecting public services across the territory.
Several government-owned primary and secondary schools in the FCT have been shut down as a result of the dispute, while other essential services have reportedly been disrupted.
Labour unions have maintained that the payment of salaries and outstanding entitlements is a statutory obligation and should not be treated as discretionary spending. They have called on the FCT Administration to urgently clear all arrears to prevent further disruption.
The FCTA, however, has argued that it faces financial constraints and must balance recurrent expenditure with capital development projects, including road construction and procurement of operational vehicles.
Efforts to reach labour leaders for additional comments were ongoing at the time of filing this report.
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