FCT primary teachers suspend strike, lauds Wike’s intervention

The Federal Capital Territory Wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has suspended its three-week strike following the intervention of the FCTA Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike.

The Union announced the suspension in a communiqué signed by its Chairman, Abdullahi Shafa, Secretary, Mrs Margaret Jetro, and Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye.

In the communiqué, issued in Abuja on Monday, after an emergency meeting of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC), the union directed the striking teachers to resume work on Oct. 8.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the primary school teachers had on Sept. 18 downed tools over unresolved welfare issues, including peculiar allowance, minimum wage areas, and non-implementation of upward salary review.

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The strike is a continuation of earlier ones suspended by the union in October 2023 and in January 2024.

The union explained that the three-week old strike was suspended following Wike’s intervention and payment of 40 per cent of the 25 months 2019 minimum wage arrears.

The teachers added that the minister’s renewed commitment towards the settlement of the remaining 60 per cent was also laudable.

The Union particularly commended the minister for directing FCT Treasury to immediately use the FCT 10 per cent Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), accruals to the area councils to pay the 60 per cent.

This, the teachers said, became necessary, following failure of the councils’ chairmen to settle the 60 per cent minimum wage arrears as agreed during previous meetings convened by the minister to resolve the lingering issue.

“Given the foregoing and the appeal of the minister for the suspension of the strike action, the SWEC in session considered the consistent and positive intervention of the minister.

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“Following his renewed commitment to look into other demands of the teachers one after the other, the SWEC has resolved to suspend the ongoing strike by primary school teachers across the FCT with immediate effect.

“The SWEC in session, hereby, appealed to all primary school teachers in FCT to, with effect from Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, return to the classrooms and continue with their legitimate duties.

“The Union will continue to intensify more effort in ensuring the settlement of all the outstanding entitlements and the improvement of teachers’ welfare,” the Union said.

The teachers further appealed to the minister to kindly take necessary steps in ensuring the implementation of the outstanding teachers’ entitlements immediately after the minimum wage arrears was settled.

The Union identified the outstanding entitlement as 40 per cent peculiar allowance, N35,000 wage award, and the 25 per cent and 35 per cent upward salary review.

“This will go a long way to avert another strike action,” the communiqué said.

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NAN reports that Wike had, on Sept. 26, threatened to use 10 per cent IGR due to the six Area Councils of the FCT to settle the striking teachers’ entitlements.

The minister, who described the development as very unfortunate, had said: “I will not fold my hands and allow that to happen.

“No serious government will see their teachers stay at home and their children are suffering.

“I will not tolerate that; I won’t.”