The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has summoned the chairmen of FCT area councils and the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in Abuja for a meeting.
The meeting was to find lasting solutions to the lingering primary school teachers’ strike over unresolved welfare concerns.
Wike stated this after inspecting ongoing projects in preparation for the inauguration to celebrate the second anniversary of President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
He spoke while responding to the protest by the teachers on Wednesday.
The minister, who described the development as very unfortunate, wondered why the FCT chairmen did not have conscience.
Wike stated that the chairmen refused to pay the teachers their entitlements, despite receiving approved funds specifically for that purpose.
Wike said: “They were unable to pay them. In fact, I got the report yesterday and have summoned all of them for a meeting.
“You see, that’s the problem we have in this country; by the time I apply the big stick, people will be saying all kinds of things.
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“I don’t know why people don’t have conscience that these are teachers who take care of our children, and you are happy that you are not paying them their salaries.”
Wike explained that primary schools were under the purview of the area councils and not the FCT Administration, adding that the area councils were in charge of primary schools.
The minister appealed to the teachers to give him some time, assuring that the issues would be sorted out soon.
Earlier, the NUT Chairman, Abdullahi Shafa, who led the protest, acknowledged Wike’s intervention to resolve the lingering strike, including the release of N4.1 billion to the area councils to pay the striking teachers.
He accused the chairmen of diverting the funds and called on the National Assembly and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to intervene and call them to order.
The primary school teachers had embarked on a series of strikes over non-payment of minimum wage and 40 per cent peculiar allowance.
Other unresolved issues included the non-implementation of 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases, and the N35,000 wage award, among other benefits.
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