FCT School Teachers Commence Indefinite Strike

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Primary school teachers in the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) FCT Wing have embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid outstanding entitlements and other pending industrial issues.

A communiqué signed by State (FCT) Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Shafa, and issued at the end of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) meeting in Gwagwalada, Abuja, directed teachers in the territory to resume the suspended strike action with effect from yesterday.

To this effect, all public primary schools in FCT are to remain closed until the union’s demands are met.

The union noted that in spite of the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, which led to the payment of 40 per cent of the total sum of 25 months minimum wage arrears to the primary school teachers, there still remained knotty matters as payment of the remaining 60 per cent of the 25 months minimum wage arrears, implementation and payment of arrears of the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increase.

Others implementation and payment of arrears of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance, payment of arrears of the N35,000 wage award and correct and continuous implementation of the template on outstanding entitlements of the teachers as agreed in 2022.

They urged teachers to disregard any counter directive except issued by the union.

But in his reaction to the development, Secretary, FCT Universal Basic Education Board (FCT-UBEB), Dr. Hassan Sule, appealed to NUT to suspend strike until all avenues were exhausted, as discussion with leadership of the six Area Councils was on going.

“I just finished talking to FCT ALGON Chairman and the NUT Chairman now. We sat down with the NUT and ALGON chairmen and we resolved that they are going to compute how much the outstanding payment is now, so that the ALGON chairman will now write officially for the intervention,” Sule, who is the acting chairman of the board, said.

He said FCT-UBEB may likely be meeting tomorrow based on his discussion with the ALGON Chairman.