‘Christmas Without Salaries’ — FCT Secondary Teachers To Join Striking Primary School Counterparts

Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have continued with their strike

over alleged non-payment of salaries, neglect, and pending promotions.

The teachers had celebrated the last Christmas without receiving their salaries and other benefits due to them.

The strike, which followed a directive by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), saw L.E.A Primary Schools in Gwarimpa II, Kubwa II, and Bwari Area Council shut down, amongst others.

In an exclusive interview with THE WHISTLER, a Head Teacher in one of the primary schools who spoke on the condition of anonymity, highlighted the hardship faced by all teachers due to non-payment of December salaries.

She said, “They have just relegated us to nothing, we are the bedrock of anything called education. They separated us from other teachers we were working with. They don’t attend to anything that concerns us as if we are not human beings. Our salaries don’t come as and when due.”

She further stated that the situation is compounded by the AMAC Chairman’s frequent absence abroad when called upon to address their grievances.

“When we call the AMAC Chairman, he is always abroad. December salary, we were not paid, everyone knows how hard it was, whether you are a Christian, Muslim or any faith you believe in, it was very difficult for a lot of people especially we the teachers.

“All the arrears they have been owing us on our promotion for a very long time have not been paid. some for 5, 4, 2, and 1 year. We had our promotion exam in October 2023, but up till now the results are not out because they don’t want the increment of salaries to start reading when it is supposed to.

Asked how much arrears the teachers are being owed, she said: “I can’t give the amount of the arrears because it varies from level to level. Part of the issue is that our December salary has not been paid,” she said.

Also speaking to THE WHISTLER, a Head Teacher who simply gave her name as Joy, spoke about the 2018 promotion conducted for teachers.

She revealed that despite receiving their promotion letters, the implementation was delayed, and arrears for two years were not paid to some teachers.

She noted that lack of transparency in the process worsened the situation, with some receiving six times what is owed to them while others were left empty-handed.

She said, “After the 2018 promotion, we were elevated to Chief Teacher and they gave us letters without implementation. When they eventually implemented it, they did not pay the arrears for two years. Someone like me did not get what was due to me but some people were paid six times and they said we are under omission. Whether they are done with the omission or not, we don’t know. Anything that concerns teachers, they don’t want us to grow, they will cut it.

“If they had shared the arrears paid to some people into two, some of us would have received our money.

“I’m the head teacher, I can’t even answer some of the questions the teachers are asking. All I do is tell them sorry and plead with them that when it comes, we will get it.

“For instance, Christmas rice that was meant for everybody did not get to us. All they tell us is to exercise patience. My teachers are not happy.”

According to her, teachers living in distant places like Bwari, Suleja, Madalla, and Gwagwalada suffer the most.

Joy further pointed out, “Since the subsidy was removed, we’ve not collected anything different from our usual pay, and we pay transport fare, we eat food, and do other things. Some of the teachers are paid below the minimum wage, with a level 2 teacher earning only N25,000.”

She demanded a swift resolution of their concerns, warning that if no action is taken by the following week, secondary school teachers will join the protest.

On his part, the former Chairman of the Union, Stephen Knabayi lamented that efforts made by the NUT to bring the government officials to a round table to resolve the matter has not yielded any result.

“As we speak now, December salaries of the teachers have not been paid. There was a repeat of this two, or three months ago. We do not know why a teacher will have to work and at the end of the month, the pay will be toiled with,” he said.

Knabayi noted that the FCT teachers are demoralized, adding that education in the territory has been affected negatively due to the many challenges faced by the teachers.

“Once a teacher is not motivated, it affects the way they teach and once that is affected, the education itself is affected negatively.

“In other countries, this is not done. The primary school teachers’ pay is the first line charge, knowing the importance of the primary school education. For us, some people are not taking that area very seriously,” he said.

Knabayi also maintained that the FCT teachers in the secondary school would soon join in the strike action if there were no concrete answers from the government.

“We have our ways of doing things. Most importantly, the teachers have been put on notice that they will join. Any moment from now, that will happen. We only need to complete some circuit of discussion among ourselves,” he said.

Speaking further on the recent meeting between the Standing Committee of the union and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to resolve the strike, Knabayi stated, “there was an offer, and for us, that offer was only said and plans to implement it was not discussed.

“For us, nothing has been given to the teachers. It is yet to fully be on ground. It is always said but not implemented.”