The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed strong disapproval of the six Area Council Chairmen for their failure to address the ongoing strike by primary school teachers in the territory.
The teachers, under the FCT Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), commenced an indefinite strike on September 18, 2024, due to unpaid entitlements and unfulfilled agreements.
In a stern warning, Wike threatened to withhold 10% of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) allocated to the Area Councils to settle the outstanding payments owed to the teachers. He emphasized the importance of education and the government’s responsibility to ensure that children are not deprived of learning due to administrative negligence.
“If the teachers are not paid, I will use the 10% of IGR which we normally pay to the area councils to pay the teachers,”
Wike stated. “I will not fold my hands and allow that to happen. No serious government will see their teachers stay at home and their children suffering. I will not tolerate that; I won’t.”
The strike action stems from the Area Councils’ failure to fulfill their part of an agreement made in 2022, which included the payment of 25 months’ minimum wage arrears, implementation of salary increases, and payment of various allowances. While Wike had previously intervened by paying 40 percent of the arrears, the remaining 60 percent and other obligations remain unsettled.
The NUT has urged teachers to remain steadfast in the strike until all demands are met. The ongoing industrial action has led to the closure of public primary schools across the FCT, affecting thousands of pupils.
As the impasse continues, stakeholders are calling for urgent resolution to prevent further disruption to the education sector in the nation’s capital.
