By Deborah Onyofufeke, Abuja
The Abuja Original Inhabitant Youth Empowerment Organization, AOIYEO, students Forum, has appealed to the FCT Minister, Barr Nyesom Wike and the minister of state, Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, to as a matter of urgency, weigh-in on the ongoing Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, strike, FCT chapter and resolve it.
The students Forum tasked the NUT chairmen to allow for constructive engagement with the FCT to enable the primary school children go back to school.
This call was made in a statement by the AOIYEO Students Forum president, Peter Jesse, in a statement on Tuesday where he decried the number of out of school children in the FCT because of incessant strikes.
He said “It is with total dismay that the AOIYEO Students Forum register their displeasure over the industrial action embarked on by the NUT FCT chapter which has crippled and further stunted the academic progress of our pupils who are currently at their formative years.
“The Forum hereby call the attention of the FCT Minister and the six area council Chairmen to find a common equilibrium to resolve the National Union of Teachers strike action to enable our colleagues (primary schools pupils) return back to class.
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“This becomes imperative as the rate of out of school children keep skyrocketing and more appalling as this is currently happening in the nation’s capital.
“As the President of this forum, I call on all the FCT area council chairmen and NUT to have constructive engagement to resolve the lingering issues that led to the declaration of the strike.
“Hence I appeal to the union and the government to return back to dialogue table,” Jesse said.
Speaking further, the Forum called on the parties to demonstrate sensitivity and patriotism to resolve the issues to save education in the nation’s capital and avert unfortunate developments associated with the idleness of young people.
The Forum also stated that incessant strike actions as this only shows the lack of commitment for education on the part of the council Chairmen and NUT.
The statement read further “The lives of our dear students and pupils are at stake hence we are unconnected with what will happen but it must be settled amicably”.
Jesse blamed incessant and prolonged strike for the fall in standard of education in FCT.
He added saying “We again, appeal on a strong note to the six area council Chairmen to consider our demand, so that our colleagues can return back to school immediately. This is unpatriotic on the side of our Chairmen and our unions to subject the future leaders to these academic rigorous and agonies.
“it is imperative to state unequivocally that Incessant strikes and stoppage of academic activities as a result of lack of agreements or lack of adherence and implementation of duly executed memorandum of agreements between the council Chairmen and NUT do not reflect and demonstrate commitment to the sustainable development of the federal capital territory education sector and human capital, the ongoing strike would destabilize and demoralise this young pupils on this early stage of education foundation.
“In conclusion, AOIYE-SF is using this medium to send message to the FCT MINISTER to convene an emergency meeting to deliberate on the strike and other issues of critical importance while AOIYE-SF will await the outcome of next meeting to determine the next line of action,” Jesse said.
The NUT FCT chapter had embarked on a strike due to some nine(9) demands they had made; ranging from emoluments and promotion arrears and other memorandum of Understanding which was signed by the government in the past.
