The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) may soon call off their three-month strike, as the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has stepped in to help resolve the ongoing dispute.
This update was shared by Mr. Chidi Amadi, Chief of Staff to the minister, after a closed-door meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday. The meeting brought together several key groups, including the leadership of the NUT, Area Council Chairmen, the FCT Administration, representatives of the National Assembly, and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANs).
Mr. Amadi noted that the FCT Minister had called the meeting to bring an end to the prolonged strike that started in March. After much discussion, he said, all parties reached an agreement to begin settling the major issues behind the strike.
As part of the agreement, the Area Councils will release the 10 per cent of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) that had been held for the past six months. That money will be used to pay about 70 per cent of the minimum wage owed to the striking teachers.
“Although it will not cover 100 per cent of the debt for now, it will cover about 70 per cent. This is a laudable move towards addressing the fracas once and for all,” Amadi said.
He also revealed that the Minister directed the formation of a Special Committee. The group will include three NUT members, two representatives from the FCT Administration, one Area Council Chairman, and a representative of NANs. They will review all unresolved matters and are expected to submit a report within two weeks.
“In addition to addressing the issues of the primary school teachers, Wike had taken a decision to address all outstanding issues of the local government employees. The minister pledged to personally intervene to ensure that their demands are addressed by the FCTA. This is to ensure that the area councils resume full operations effectively immediately,” Amadi explained.
Speaking for the Area Council Chairmen, Mr. Abubakar Abdullahi admitted that although the decision was tough, it was necessary.
“Six months of our IGR had been held to settle this issue. Ours at this point is to appeal to NUT to consider our children and call off the strike. Please NUT, we are calling on you to respect the fact that the minister has taken his time to resolve this matter,” he said.
He pointed out that even though the Minister had no legal power to take the councils’ IGR, the chairmen agreed to it willingly in order to help bring an end to the crisis.
“Wike had clearly stated that by law, he has no right to take the 10 per cent IGR of the area councils to clear the outstanding debt of the teachers. However, the chairmen have all agreed because they also, collectively, want an end to the strike and so we have agreed that the 10 per cent IGR should go to the teachers,” he said.
Mr. Abdullahi also expressed hope that the strike would end before Friday so that students could return to school.
The National President of NANs, Olushola Oladoja, also shared his thoughts. He supported the outcome of the meeting and said he believed it would help bring teachers back into classrooms.
“However, I believe because the council chairmen also want the issue resolved, they have no option but to concede the IGR for six months,” he said.
The NUT Chairman, Mohammed Shafa, responded by saying that he would consult with the NUT State Executive Council before making a final decision on the strike.
