Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, threatened to use the statutory ten per cent of internally generated revenue (IGR) belonging to area councils to pay striking primary school teachers in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
He said, “That is what is on my table currently; I’ve got the Chairmen and the NUT; let’s sit down. These are the things we talk about. We try to do what we can in order to see that the system is moving well. It will be unfortunate that I have told the chairmen that if the teachers are on strike, that will mean that if they are not paid, then I will use the 10 per cent IGR that we normally pay to them to pay the teachers.
“I will not fold my arms and allow that to happen. No serious government will see their teachers stay at home and children are suffering. I will not tolerate that.”
The primary school teachers, represented by the FCT wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), resumed their strike on September 18, 2024, after giving the Area Council Chairmen a 14-day ultimatum, seven months after the Minister waded in and resolved the industrial crisis.
It will be recalled that the state chairman of the NUT FCT Wing, Comrade Abdullahi Shafa, stated that the decision was reached following deliberations by the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC).
“The State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) deliberated extensively on the issues affecting teachers in the FCT and resolved to resume the suspended strike action due to the non-response of the Council Chairmen to our demands,” he said.
Shafa said some of the unresolved issues include: “Payment of Remaining 60% of Minimum Wage Arrears: The union is demanding the payment of the remaining 60% of the 25-month Minimum Wage Arrears owed to primary school teachers.
“Implementation of Salary Increase: The union is seeking the implementation and payment of arrears of the 25% and 35% salary increases. Payment of Peculiar Allowance*: The union is demanding the implementation and payment of arrears of the 40% Peculiar Allowance.
“Payment of Wage Award: The union is seeking the payment of arrears of the N35,000 Wage Award.
“Correct Implementation of Template: The union wants the correct and continuous implementation of the template on outstanding entitlements of teachers, as agreed upon in 2022.”.
The union, however, commended the intervention of the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, for paying 40 per cent of the total sum of 25 months of minimum wage arrears to primary school teachers.
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