There are indications that the ongoing industrial action by public school teachers in the FCT may soon be suspended, as the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, prepares to deliberate on talks with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
This is coming after a meeting between the union and the minister, on Thursday, where both sides engaged on long-standing welfare and administrative issues affecting teachers across the Federal Capital Territory.
Chairman of the NUT FCT Wing, Comrade Abdulahi Shafa, described the meeting as “very fruitful,” but said the union would return to its headquarters to deliberate before taking a final decision.
“It was a very fruitful meeting. The Minister has promised immediate action on the issues we raised, some of which he was previously not fully aware of. However, the strike has not been called off yet. We are returning to our headquarters to deliberate on the minister’s offers before making our final decision.”
According to him, discussions covered key concerns affecting teachers across primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools, including allowances, emoluments, and broader welfare issues.
The union also raised concerns over promotions and the need to fill vacancies in public schools, warning that delays were contributing to stagnation and affecting productivity in the system. It further highlighted unresolved issues around the entitlements of primary school teachers, describing them as persistent gaps in the system.
During the meeting, Wike restated that he had previously intervened in the dispute, including directing that Internally Generated Revenue from Area Councils be used to address teachers’ payments.
He also questioned the handling of earlier engagements, particularly the exclusion of key stakeholders from consultations that preceded the strike.
In the minister’s words, “Unfortunately, there have been some lapses as the council chairmen were not invited. In my view, it would not be proper to hold such a crucial meeting without the involvement of those who are directly affected. I have presided over several meetings regarding the payment of teacher allowances and emoluments.
“Following these discussions, I set up a committee to resolve these issues. I even intercepted the IGR allocation from the area councils and directed the treasury to ensure that the money is paid directly to address these concerns.
“However, I was surprised to learn from the Chief of Staff about a communique indicating that, despite our agreement, there are plans to go on strike.
“I have repeatedly emphasized that education is vital, and continuous strikes will only negatively affect our children.
“Our intervention aims to resolve the payment of allowances and salaries to primary school teachers, which is the sole responsibility of the Councils”, he stated.
Wike maintained that primary school teachers’ salaries remain the responsibility of Area Councils, insisting that ongoing interventions are aimed at addressing implementation gaps and funding challenges.
The NUT leadership, however, said it would carefully study the Minister’s assurances before taking a final position, leaving the strike suspension decision in the hands of its internal deliberations.
For now, the industrial action continues, with teachers expected to announce their next line of action after the union’s meeting.
