FCT teachers’ strike: Enough is enough, ‘no work, no pay’ – Wike declares

By Stanley Onyekwere

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared a strict “no work, no pay” policy against striking workers in the territory, describing the industrial action declared by the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as unwarranted, illegal, and politically motivated.

Speaking on Friday following a high-level administrative meeting, the Minister asserted that the administration will not succumb to political blackmail, insisting that all demands raised by the union had already been resolved and are currently being implemented.

Addressing journalists on the resolutions of the executive meeting, Wike directed the chairmen of the six Area Councils to enforce the “no work, no pay” rule immediately for any teacher or civil servant participating in the strike.

“We want to state categorically and let it be known to the public: this so-called strike declaration is political, and we will not accept it. We will not accept it because there’s no basis for anybody to call for a strike.

“We don’t have any issue with the local government areas, local education authorities, or primary schools,” Wike stated.

The Minister noted that key stakeholders within the education sector, including senior primary school teachers and the National Union of Teachers (NUT), have distanced themselves from the industrial action.

According to him:
“The body of senior primary school teachers have said no, they cannot be party to this strike, that it’s uncalled for.

“All the things they are talking about have been agreed upon and are being implemented, so why do we go on strike?

“They said ‘no, we cannot be part of this, we have no problem.”

The Minister adds: “The issue of promotion is ongoing, and the issue of directors is an establishment matter.

“I’ve directed the area councils to go back and call their teachers and civil servants. If anybody does this, we’ll implement ‘no work, no pay.’

“Enough is enough; we can’t continue with this.”

Wike directly linked the leadership of the FCT NLC to partisan interests, alleging that the union chairman—who previously contested an Area Council election under the African Democratic Congress (ADC)—is attempting to destabilize the FCT for political gain ahead of upcoming elections.

“If you ask who the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress is, he was a former Area Council candidate of the ADC in the last election.

“You can see his interest trying to see that FCT is in crisis, and then wants to use it as a political tool—that FCT teachers are at home, nobody is teaching students, so how can you now go for elections when pupils are at home?

“We cannot accept that blackmail. If you want to involve yourself in politics, you are free to do so, but excuse yourself from the leadership of the union so you don’t politicize it,” Wike stated.

In a related development, the FCT Minister announced a major security enforcement drive targeting illegal commercial setups between Gwagwalada and Asokoro.

Wike disclosed that reports had reached the administration regarding unauthorized operators opening beer parlors and illegal motor parks across the corridor without official approval.

“We have been told of some issues of security threats extending from certain areas of Gwagwalada to Asokoro, where some people are trying to open up beer parlor businesses, motor parks, and all of that.

” There are no such approvals, and we will not allow that,” Wike warned.

He instructed the Department of Development Control, in active collaboration with security agencies, to immediately clear out all illegal structures and operators to forestall security breaches within the nation’s capital.