Strike: FCT teachers chase pupils from classrooms

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) teachers under the aegis of the FCT Council of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) yesterday dashed the hopes of parents to have their children return to school after seven months of forced stay at home due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The aggrieved teachers chased away pupils from the classrooms. They alleged Area Council Chairmen in the territory had refused to implement the national minimum wage as well as payment of arrears.

When The Nation visited the LEA Primary School Kubwa, which also accommodates the Junior Secondary School, Kubwa, the pupils were seen being chased out of their classrooms from as early as 8 am. Only students of the junior secondary school were allowed in, as secondary school teachers had earlier been paid by the FCT Administration.

Earlier in September, Chairman of the Union, Stephen Knabayi had directed members not to resume work whenever schools reopened.

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He said while the FCT Administration had begun the payment of the new minimum wage, the six Area Councils in the territory saddled with the payment of primary school teachers have refused to do the same.

Knabayi said yesterday that the strike was indefinite since there was no serious commitment from the councils to implement the national minimum wage.

“The demand has to do with the payment of minimum wage for primary school teachers in the FCT. There are other things, but we are not joining issues. For 18 months now we have been agitating for this payment and there has not been any serious commitment on the part of the government, that is, the Area Councils. We have had several meetings but they keep reneging on agreements and we have not seen any serious commitment on the part of key players.