The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) FCT Wing is set to decide the fate of its ongoing industrial action following a high-level meeting with the Honorable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday.
While the union acknowledged significant progress and “ministerial commitment” toward resolving long-standing grievances, its leadership clarified that the strike remains in force until a formal deliberation is held at the Union’s headquarters.
The Chairman of the NUT FCT Wing, Comrade Abdulahi Mohammed Shafa, told reporters that the meeting addressed critical “shortcomings” regarding the rights and entitlements of primary school teachers, as well as personnel issues in junior and senior secondary schools.
The Union’s demands centered on ensuring vacancies are filled to boost teacher productivity and morale, securing the immediate release of allowances and emoluments owed to members, and addressing the failure of Area Council Chairmen to meet their primary education obligations.
“It was a very fruitful meeting,” Comrade Shafa noted. “The Minister has promised immediate action on the issues we raised—some of which he was previously not fully aware of.
“However, the strike has not been called off yet. We are returning to our headquarters to deliberate on the Minister’s offers before making our final decision.”
The ongoing strike appears to have compelled the FCT Administration to take drastic measures.
During the briefing, Minister Wike revealed that he has intercepted IGR allocations from the Area Councils, directing the treasury to pay teacher allowances directly to resolve the “sole responsibility” of the Councils.
Despite the Minister expressing surprise at the Union’s decision to proceed with the strike despite previous agreements, the NUT maintained that the action was a necessary response to the “lapses” and lack of involvement from the Area Council Chairmen, who are the direct employers of primary school educators.
While the Union expressed appreciation for the Minister’s efforts in school renovations, the NUT leadership emphasized that personnel welfare must match infrastructural development.
The teaching community now awaits the outcome of the NUT’s internal meeting. If the Minister’s “immediate action” plan is deemed satisfactory, a communique calling off the strike is expected to follow, potentially ending the disruption to the FCT academic calendar.
For now, the NUT maintains its stand: the welfare of the teacher is the bedrock of quality education in the FCT.
