By Ben Adoga, with agency report
The Federal Capital Territory Wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has suspended its three-week strike following the intervention of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike.
The union announced the suspension in a communiqué signed by its Chairman, Abdullahi Shafa, Secretary, Mrs Margaret Jetro, and Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye.
In the communiqué issued yesterday in Abuja after an emergency meeting of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC), the union directed the striking teachers to resume work on October 8.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the primary school teachers downed their tools on September 18 over unresolved welfare issues, including peculiar allowances, minimum wage areas, and the non-implementation of upward salary reviews.
The strike is a continuation of earlier ones suspended by the union in October 2023 and January 2024.
The union explained that the three-week-old strike was suspended following Wike’s intervention and payment of 40 percent of the 25-month 2019 minimum wage arrears.
The teachers added that the Minister’s renewed commitment to settling the remaining 60 percent was also laudable.
The union particularly commended the Minister for directing the FCT Treasury to immediately use the FCT 10 percent Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) accruals to the area councils to pay the 60 percent.
The teachers said this became necessary following the failure of the councils’ chairmen to settle the 60 percent minimum wage arrears as agreed during previous meetings convened by the Minister to resolve the lingering issue.
“Given the preceding and the appeal of the Minister for the suspension of the strike action, the SWEC in session considered the consistent and positive intervention of the Minister.
“Following his renewed commitment to look into other teachers’ demands one after the other, the SWEC has resolved to suspend the ongoing strike by primary school teachers across the FCT immediately.
“The SWEC in session, at this moment, appealed to all primary school teachers in FCT to, with effect from Tuesday, October 8, 2024, return to the classrooms and continue with their legitimate duties.
“The Union will continue to intensify more effort in ensuring the settlement of all the outstanding entitlements and the improvement of teachers’ welfare,” the union said.
The teachers further appealed to the Minister to take necessary steps to ensure the implementation of the outstanding teachers’ entitlements immediately after the minimum wage arrears were settled.
The union identified the outstanding entitlements as a 40 percent peculiar allowance, an N35,000 wage award, and a 25 percent and 35 percent upward salary review.
“This will go a long way to avert another strike action,” the communiqué said.
However, Shafa commended the primary school teachers for their resilience during the two-week strike.
Shafas stated, “The strike was initially called due to non-payment of 25 months of minimum wage arrears and other entitlements. However, with Wike’s intervention, it seems a resolution is on the horizon.”
NAN reports that on September 26, Wike threatened to use 10 percent IGR due to the six Area Councils of the FCT to settle the striking teachers’ entitlements.
The Minister, who described the development as very unfortunate, said, “I will not fold my hands and allow that to happen. No serious government will see their teachers stay at home and their children suffer. I will not tolerate that; I won’t.”
However, the NUT chairman urged the teachers to stay tuned for more updates on the development.
