‘When Teacher’s Welfare Fails, Learning Suffers’ — Says FCT School Principal On Strike

Classrooms at Government Day Secondary School in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, were empty on Tuesday morning as students stayed back at home due to a workers strike that affected public schools across the Federal Capital Territory.

Their teachers had joined an indefinite strike led by the Joint Union Action Congress of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) over unpaid salaries, promotion arrears and welfare issues.

THE WHISTLER visited Government Day Secondary School, Dutse Alhaji, Junior Secondary School, Dutse Sagwari, Green and White Secondary School Dutse, and LEA Primary School, Gwarinpa, where our correspondent met absence of students and teachers.

The teachers were observing the strike amid street protests and a lawsuit filed against the workers by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

The strike and protests resulted from alleged unpaid salaries, promotion arrears and welfare issues.

At Government Day Secondary School, Dutse Alhaji, the principal, Mr Balogu Emmanuel Ayodeji, expressed concerns about the strike’s impact on students but noted that it would not affect WAEC exam preparations.

“Let me correct the point of fear,” Ayodeji told THE WHISTLER. “This strike does not disturb WAEC registration.”

Ayodeji, who has spent over two years as principal of the school after earlier serving as JSS Ushafa principal for three years, explained that despite the strike, West African Examinations Council registration was proceeding according to plan.

“WAEC has told us that they are not extending beyond February 6,” he said adding that, “Every school must make sure that whatever you do, you do it smartly and finish it this week, Friday, because if you don’t do it this week, some parents might abuse the grace of February 6.

“WAEC is not just a Nigerian examination, it’s West Africa,” he said.

Ayodeji said he returned to school to supervise the biometric capturing of candidates amidst the strike.

“As a principal, you must be a leader. You don’t take things for granted. I’ll be in school to monitor the capturing of WAEC,” he said.

He admitted that the strike’s impact on learning was unavoidable.

“Definitely it will affect them. It has interrupted the flow of learning. This term is 12 weeks. We are supposed to be in the third week already. That means the number of effective teaching days has reduced. But we will still try to accomplish our primary programme,” he stated.

He confirmed that the Nigeria Union of Teachers joined the strike this week. “We didn’t join last week. NUT did not join last week, but this week NUT has joined. Public schools in FCT, LEA, FCT Universal Basic Education Board and the Secondary Education Board, we have joined. I have the letter on my phone.”

Regarding the strike’s duration, he said, “Apparently there is no communication on when it will end. It’s indefinite. Once the government responds, everything will come back to normality.”

Parents Express Mixed Reactions

Asked about parents’ reactions, Ayodeji said, “They will not be happy. Some of them will not be happy.”

However, he noted some parents may welcome their children being home. “Some of them that do business, students support them in their business, they will be happy. Some of them that are employed, some of these students you see, they are house helps. Those people will be happy. More work at home.”

Meanwhile, Ayodeji noted that workers welfare should be a government priority.

“It is high time the Nigerian government realises that one of the first things they must prioritise is workers’ welfare. It is a morale booster,” he said.

“And not just education. Anything you have to do, the teacher taught you.

“The greatest two teachers in the history of the world are Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible and Prophet Muhammad in the Holy Quran. They prioritised welfare. When Jesus taught on the mountain, he realised people needed to eat. Bread and fish were provided. Muhammad converted people through kindness.”

Ayodeji, standing in the emptied school, said, “When welfare fails, learning suffers.”

The school principal, however, commended the FCT Minister on performance, but noted that “one of the things that crowns his glory is workers’ welfare. He should do something that even his conscience will justify.”

Court Action and Street Protests

Workers under the FCTA, backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress, protested at the National Industrial Court in Abuja with placards reading “Wike must go,” “Abuja no be Rivers,” and “Pay promotion arrears.”

The strike led to shutdown of some government offices across the nation’s capital. The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees and the Nigeria Union of Teachers also directed members to join the action.

Court Orders Suspension Of Strike

On Tuesday, the National Industrial Court ordered the workers to suspend their strike pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons.

In suit number NICN ABJ 17 2026, Wike and the FCTA had accused the unions of obstructing access to offices and paralysing administration.

The court adjourned the matter until March 23, 2026, for the hearing of the substantive suit.

Earlier, the FCTA claimed that the strike was unnecessary. In a statement by the FCT minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the FCTA said 10 out of 14 demands had been met.

According to the FCTA, payment of outstanding wage awards had commenced, promotion arrears amounting to over N286m had been approved, and hazard and rural allowances for health workers had been fully paid. It also said issues bordering on tenure elongation and training were being addressed.

However, JUAC denied the claims. It described the strike as lawful and justified.