Following the lingering protests over non-implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council teachers, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to apply the big stick. The minister has summoned the council chairmen and also appealed to the striking workers, promising the matter will be sorted out. GBENGA OMOKHUNU writes on the issue.
Agitation over the non-implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils’ teachers began years back, stretching from 2019 and continuing this year. The six area councils are: Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Kuje Area Council, Bwari Area Council, Abaji Area Council, Gwagwalada Area Council and Kwali Area Council.
A notable strike in January 2024, for instance, was triggered by the non-payment of salary arrears, promotion arrears and minimum wage arrears since 2019. Findings revealed that the teachers had been agitating for the minimum wage arrears for 18 months prior to the strike.
Beginning of the crisis
In 2019, minimum wage arrears were approved by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. In 2020, teachers began industrial action in October, citing unpaid minimum wages. In 2022, the then FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, intervened in a strike that began in January. In 2024, a new strike commenced in January, with teachers protesting the non-payment of salary arrears, promotion arrears, and minimum wage arrears since 2019.
The union issued a 14-day ultimatum in September 2024, demanding the payment of the remaining 60 per cent of the 25 months’ minimum wage arrears. The workers also went on strike in Kuje in January 2023 over outstanding entitlements.
The Kuje branch of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) demanded for payment of salaries for 2018 recruited teachers, an agreed template for paying teachers’ arrears and salaries for 2022 reabsorbed teachers.
After several consultations, workers, under the umbrella of the joint unions, comprising the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) chapters in the FCT, staged a mass protest last Thursday. The workers, who resumed strike last month over non-implementation of N70,000 national minimum wage by area councils’ chairmen, shut the entrance into the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Secretariat.
The workers, who protested with placards having the inscription, “Is it wrong to teach in primary school?”, insisted on meeting with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. In the process, the workers restricted entry into the secretariat for hours.
Workers alleged diversion of N4.1b approved by Wike
Speaking with The Nation, leaders of the workers accused the area council chairmen of diverting the N4.1 billion that was approved by Wike to offset their arrears.
Patients, especially those in the rural communities, including the nursing mothers, are having serious challenges in accessing healthcare services as a result of the ongoing strike embarked upon by the workers of the six area councils.
It was gathered that efforts by Wike and his minister of state, Maryam Mahmud, to resolve the crisis have yielded no result, as the chairmen reportedly boycotted a dialogue meeting earlier called to resolve the crisis.
The chairmen have also refused to speak to the media on the crisis.
Explaining the reasons for the protest, Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT Chapter, Comrade Abdullahi Shafa, said: “If you are aware, in December, we started the struggle for the implementation of the minimum wage. We sat down with the area council chairmen and came out with an agreement that in January, they would embark on implementation. They didn’t.
“We called for a strike. We went again for a sitting. They said in February, they would implement it. They didn’t. Now, we went to the minister, and the minister intervened and gave N4.1 billion to the six area councils to go and implement the agreement. They ran away with the money, and till today, they have not implemented that.
“You see the situation we are in? The minister has already intervened. But the area council chairmen ran away with the money, saying the money is meant for projects and that the money is ecological fund. They told all kinds of lies.
“That is what brought us to where we are today. So, we have protested to the office of the minister today to inform him that the intervention and help that he gave to the teachers of FCT and the local government workers, the local government chairmen have refused to implement that. That is the sole reason why we are here.
“You are aware we have other numerous problems, but this is at the front-burner now. They should implement our agreement and give us the rest of seven months being owed.
“And we are directed by the national NLC leadership that there should be no sitting with the government officials in their offices. They should come to the gate where our members are to address us.”
Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM-FCT), Jama Medan, whose members are also part of the strike, expressed deep concern over the worsening health situation, highlighting that Nigeria ranks second globally in maternal and child mortality rates.
According to Medan, one of the reasons for the protest was a response to the worsening health crisis triggered by the prolonged closure of over 270 PHCs across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Medan warned that the continued closure of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) could further deepen the ongoing health crisis.
“We have fewer than 130 nurses and midwives currently managing these facilities. Women and children are dying because the centres have remained shut for over a month,” he said, highlighting a severe shortage of healthcare personnel and the lack of government action to address the issue.
Wike issues warning
Mandate Secretary of the FCT Education Secretariat, Hayyo Danlami, who addressed the protesters on behalf of the minister, assured them that their letter would be delivered to the minister. He also promised that their concerns would be given due attention and addressed accordingly.
However, Wike has also appealed to primary school teachers to give him time to sort things out and has also summoned area council chairmen to a meeting.
Wike, who spoke to reporters, said: “It’s unfortunate, but we have to tell ourselves the simple truth. The Area Council Chairmen, after I approved money to be sent to them for them to be able to pay the teachers, they were unable to do that. In fact, I got the report yesterday and I have summoned all of them.
“You see, that’s the problem we have in this country. By the time you apply the big stick now, people will be saying all kinds of things. I don’t know why people don’t have conscience that these are teachers who take care of our children, and you are happy that you are not paying them their salaries.
“These are primary school teachers, not secondary school teachers. You know the responsibility of the councils; they are in charge of the primary schools. So, I’ll summon them to a meeting. I also continue to appeal to the NUT to give some time so that these things will be sorted out.”
FCT schools remain under lock and key
There may not be an end soon to the industrial crisis rocking the six area councils.
The President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the FCT, Comrade Abdullahi Ibrahim Kabi, revealed that nothing has been paid yet, warning that workers across the six councils will not call off the ongoing strike until the new wage and other entitlements are paid by the area councils.
Kabi said the joint unions would not shift ground until the council chairmen acted positively.
Findings revealed that public primary schools, which were shut down during their second term examinations last month, have failed to resume for the third term with their counterparts at the secondary level as a result of the strike.
According to the FCT school calendar, schools resumed for the third term academic season last Monday.
But our correspondents, who went round the capital city, report that public primary schools remained under lock and key despite the resumption.
National Assembly wade in for resolution
As many parents, who spoke with our correspondent in Bwari, Kwali and Abaji pleaded with the relevant stakeholders to wade in and resolve the crisis, the parties involved in the crisis reportedly met with the joint Senate/House committees on FCT area councils and auxiliary matters on Tuesday in an effort to resolve the crisis.
Although details of the meeting were still sketchy as at the time of filing this report yesterday, a reliable source, who is a member of the state executive council of one of the unions, confirmed the meeting on condition of anonymity to our reporter over the phone.
He said the invitation of the six area council chairmen, treasurers, heads of administration, NULGE and NUT state executives was a result of last Thursday’s protest by primary school teachers and area council workers.
The source said those invited were expected to come with their documents regarding payment of their workers’ and primary school teachers’ salaries.
“We, at both NULGE and NUT, will also be going with our documents, including several agreements we signed with the six council chairmen,” he said.
One of the council chairmen, who pleaded anonymity, also confirmed to our reporter over the phone that the six area council chairmen, treasurers, and heads of administration were invited by the joint committees on FCT Area Councils and Auxiliary Matters on Tuesday over the strike.
“Yes, it is true, the six area council chairmen, treasurers and heads of administration are going to the National Assembly this morning to appear before the Joint Committees on FCT Area Councils and auxiliary matters about the strike. In fact, I am just about to leave as I am talking to you right now,” he said.
Parents seek resolution
Parents in the FCT have called on the FCT Minister, area council chairmen and the NUT to reach a workable agreement to enable their children resume school.
Some of the affected parents, who spoke in separate interviews with The Nation in Kuje, Gwagwalada, Abaji and Kwali area councils, said the strike is having a negative impact on their children and appealed for a speedy resolution.
Moses John, a parent in Gwagwalada Area Council, said the strike had made his children “shift focus to other things that was costing her additional funds that she did not budget for”.
John said: “One thing I have learnt is that after each episode of strike, the children are no longer more focused, even when they resume because they have been out for so long. Parents, who cannot engage their wards in extra lessons, suffer distress and heartaches because of the nuisance the children constitute at home.
“My only pain is that the people in government are not feeling it because their own children are not in public schools, but abroad or in private schools.”
Another parent in Abaji Area Council, Ibrahim Ona, said their appeal was for the government to listen to the masses.
Ona said: “The Federal Government should listen to the demands of the striking unions so that our children can go back to school.”
Abiodun Oba, a parent in Kwali Area Council, said his son was affected by the strike and pleaded that the FCT minister and chairmen “discuss the issues for the children to go back to school”.
“I am seriously appealing to the relevant authorities, on behalf of parents, to end the strike and make education a top priority and save the sector from imminent collapse. The Federal Government must at all costs, meet the demands of the union to save the future of our children.”
Adams Brown, a parent in Kuje Area Council, urged the government to make any sacrifice to improve the education sector and meet the union’s demands.
“They should also consider the parents who suffer to pay school fees for our children and should know that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
“Education must come first in all our plans and whatever it will take, the government should improve the welfare of the school teachers,” Oba said.
