By Augustine Aminu
Primary school teachers under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Teachers NUT,FCT Wing has embarked on an indefinite strike over non payment of their outstanding entitlements and other unresolved industrial issues.
The Union said it resolved and directed all the primary school teachers in the federal capital territory to resume the suspended strike action with effect from yesterday.
The strike is a continuation of earlier ones suspended by the union in October 2023 and in January 2024.
This was disclosed in a communiqué signed by State FCT, Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Shafa, and issued at the end of the State Wing Executive Council SWEC, meeting of the Nigeria Union Of Teachers NUT, FCT Wing at FCT teachers’ house, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
It stated that consequently, all Public primary schools in FCT are to remain closed until the Union’s demands are met.
“We appeal to all teachers to remain calm and disregard any counter directives except as directed by the Union.”
“The SWEC-in – session acknowledged and applauded the effort of the Honourable Minister of FCT, His Excellency, Barrister Nyesom E. Wike (CON) on his intervention and payment of 40% 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”, the communique read in parts.
Reacting to the development, Secretary, FCT Universal Basic Education Board FCT-UBEB, Dr. Hassan Sule, appealed to NUT to suspend strike until all avenues are being exhausted, as discussion with leadership of the six srea councils is still in progress.
According to him, “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.