By Sarah NEGEDU
Public school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory have embarked on yet another strike action over the non-payment of parts of their outstanding 25 months minimum wage arrears.
The teachers, under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, FCT wing, said it resolved and directed all the primary school teachers in the territory to resume the suspended strike action with effect from Wednesday.
This was disclosed in a communiqué signed by State Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Shafa, and issued at the end of a meeting of the State Wing Executive Council, SWEC, held at the FCT teachers’ house, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
The union, while appealing to its members to remain calm and disregard any counter directives except as directed by the union, maintained that all public primary schools in the FCT are to remain closed until the union’s demands are met.
The communique read in part, “The SWEC-in – session acknowledged and applauded the effort of the Minister of FCT, His Excellency, Nyesom Wike, on his intervention and payment of 40 percent of the total sum of 25 months Minimum Wage Arrears to the Primary School Teachers.
“However, the SWEC In Session noted with great displeasure the non response of the Council Chairmen to the fourteen day ultimatum issued to them, nor did they attend to the industrial issues raised.
“Payment of the remaining 60% of the 25 months minimum wage arrears; implementation and payment of arrears of the 25% and 35% salary increase; implementation and payment of arrears of the 40% 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.”
Reacting to the development, Secretary, FCT Universal Basic Education Board, FCT-UBEB, Dr. Hassan Sule, appealed to NUT to suspend the strike until all avenues are being exhausted, as there are ongoing discussion with the leadership of the six area councils.
Sule, who is the acting Chairman of the Board, said, “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.
“But, maybe the the timeframe they gave, which the ALGON chairman is complaining that it is too short as they have not finished the computation yet, and they said let us finish all our work.
“Likely, we will be meeting on Friday, based on what I discussed with the ALGON Chairman now.”
