FCT Primary School Teachers Suspend Strike After Wike’s Intervention

Primary school teachers under the Local Education Authority (LEA) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have suspended their strike following the intervention of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

THE WHISTLER reported that teachers had embarked on strike on January 15, 2024, over the area councils’ failure to meet the demands of primary school teachers, including unpaid 40% ‘peculiar allowance’ and 25 months’ minimum wage arrears.

The teachers had set a deadline of January 19, 2024, threatening to escalate the strike to include secondary school teachers if their demands were not met.

In response to the strike, Wike approved payment of N7 billion to cover 25% of the salary arrears of primary school teachers.

This came after an emergency meeting held late Friday evening at the Teachers House in Gwagwalada, FCT, by the State Wing Executive Committee (SWEC) of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

The union, through a communique jointly signed by Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas (State Chairman), Margaret F. (Secretary), and Ibikun Adekeye (Publicity Secretary), acknowledged the FCT Minister’s intervention as important in resolving the issues.

Wike was reported to have pledged to pay 40 percent, while council chairmen will pay 60 percent of the money owed to the primary school teachers.

“I met with NUT, and the area council chairmen. So, what we have done; the debt owed by the area councils, FCTA has come in to take away 40 percent of it, while the councils will settle the remaining 60 percent,” Wike had said during a meeting with FCT council chairmen and traditional rulers on Wednesday.

“This will be done monthly, and they have agreed. The same with NULGE, FCTA has taken 40 percent, let them (area councils) pay the remaining 60 percent.
“We will be paying every month and in the next three to four months, we will finish settling the debt.”