Abuja Waste Contractors Threaten Strike Over 9 Months Unpaid Wages

Contractors liable for cleaning Abuja person threatened to suspend services from 25 September implicit non-payment of 9 months’ wages.

The contractors nether the Association of FCT Solid Waste and Cleaning Contractors (AFSOWAC), issued the informing successful a missive addressed to the Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council.

The letter, which was made disposable to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) connected Friday, said the radical could nary longer warrant uninterrupted services successful the FCT without urgent payment.

AFSOWAC, representing contractors handling sanitation crossed 44 tons successful Abuja, said its members wide implicit 1,000 tonnes of discarded regular utilizing implicit 100 garbage trucks and 60 tippers.

LEADERSHIP understands that much than 3,000 unit members were engaged successful the work, galore of whom trust solely connected the occupation for their livelihood.

The assemblage explained that contractors had sustained operations by borrowing from ceremonial and informal sources, saying specified options were present exhausted.

“Despite our loyalty and sustained work delivery, we person not received payments since January 2025,” the relation lamented.

It besides accused the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), which manages the contracts, of issuing regular directives without addressing their fiscal concerns.

They noted that the hold successful payments was already contributing to disposable discarded build-up successful the metropolis and described the Gosa dumpsite arsenic “deplorable,” calling for contiguous involution to amended entree and equipment.

AFSOWAC further urged the FCT Administration to expedite the procurement process it initiated successful October 2024 to bespeak existent economical realities, specified arsenic subsidy removal and naira devaluation.

It argued that existent payments were based connected outdated rates that nary longer covered operational costs.

“We person reached a constituent wherever passionateness and committedness unsocial cannot prolong this indispensable service. Without payment, we cannot continue,” they warned.

The radical appealed for urgent authorities enactment to avert disruption of sanitation services, stressing that specified a breakdown could airs superior nationalist wellness and information risks.