The indefinite strike by primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has entered its 86th day, with over 400 public schools still shut and thousands of pupils stuck at home.
The deadlock continues as Area Council chairmen have failed to honour a tripartite agreement to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage and settle outstanding allowances. The impasse has left classrooms deserted across the six area councils, fuelling anger among parents, unions, and education advocates.
In a renewed push for accountability, the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the FCT Administration. In a letter signed by NLC FCT Chairperson, Stephen Knabayi, the union threatened to mobilise workers and picket government offices across the territory if the situation remains unresolved by June 19.
The teachers’ strike, which resumed on March 24, stems from the Area Councils’ refusal to implement a December 2024 Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement, brokered by the FCT Administration and signed by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), and NLC, mandated that payment of the new wage begin in January 2025, with arrears paid in installments.
It also required councils to dedicate 50% of their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) toward fulfilling the salary obligations and set up a monitoring committee chaired by Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud. However, six months later, the councils have neither implemented the agreement nor paid any of the owed allowances.
“The FCT NLC has made repeated efforts to engage the administration—through letters dated April 24 and May 16—but has received no formal response,” the union said. It warned that unless all outstanding issues affecting teachers, health workers, and council staff are addressed, the FCT will be shut down in protest.
Meanwhile, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike hinted during a recent media chat that the federal government might bypass the defaulting council chairmen and pay the teachers directly. “It’s unfortunate. We are not owing; the Area Councils are owing,” he said.
Despite Wike’s comments, there’s been no official communication with union leaders regarding a payment plan. Attempts to reach the FCT-NUT chairman, Abdullahi Shafas, for updates were unsuccessful.
Reacting to the stalemate, Isaac David of the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Org backed the minister’s position. “If the chairmen can’t pay, then the minister should step in,” he said.
For now, the strike rages on, leaving the education of thousands of FCT pupils hanging in the balance.
