Wike approves 1,659 FCTA workers employed in 2016, 2019

Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has approved the confirmation of appointment for 1,659 workers who were employed by the administration in 2016 and 2019.

The development was disclosed by the chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.

The statement, signed by the minister’s senior special assistant on public communications and social media, Lere Olayinka, explained that the confirmed workers were among those who participated in a confirmation examination conducted by the commission.

According to Ezeh, the examination took place on February 28 and was part of the process required to regularise the employment status of staff recruited in previous years.

He noted that some of the affected employees had been working within the FCTA since 2016 and 2019, while others were recruited shortly before Wike assumed office as FCT minister in August 2023.

Over 2,000 workers participated in confirmation examination

Ezeh explained that a total of 2,512 workers were invited to sit for the confirmation examination organised by the civil service commission.

However, only 2,281 candidates appeared for the test, while 224 workers were absent.

He said the absence of some of the invited workers had raised concerns that some of the names on the employment list might belong to ghost workers.

Following the exercise, 1,659 staff members were confirmed for permanent appointment after meeting the required conditions.

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The confirmation process, according to the commission, was designed to ensure transparency and accountability within the FCTA workforce while verifying the status of employees whose appointments had remained pending for several years.

Commission plans promotions for 2025 and 2026

The chairman also disclosed that the civil service commission had concluded plans to conduct promotion exercises for 2025 and 2026.

He said the promotion process had already received approval from Wike and would be implemented in line with the federal government’s commitment to improving the welfare and career progression of civil servants.

Ezeh linked the move to the policy direction of Bola Tinubu, president of Nigeria, whose administration has emphasised workforce reforms within government institutions.

He advised affected workers to visit the official website of the FCT Civil Service Commission to check the status of their confirmation.

According to him, the exercise is part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the administrative structure of the FCTA and ensuring that legitimate employees are properly documented within the system.