FCT Teachers Go on Strike Just Days Before End of Terminal Exams

FCT Teachers Go on Strike Just Days Before End of Terminal Exams

By Fly Cable News

Teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have launched a new strike over the failure of the area councils to implement the N70,000 minimum wage. This move comes just three days before the conclusion of the first-term exams, forcing students who arrived at school on Monday to continue their exams to be sent home.

Primary school students in the FCT have faced multiple disruptions to their education due to ongoing strikes by their teachers. The most recent strike, which began on September 18, lasted for about three weeks before being called off on October 7.

Comrade Ameh Baba, Chairman of the Nigeria Teachers’ Union (NUT) in the Kubwa chapter, explained that the strike was triggered by the continued non-payment of salary arrears by the area council chairmen. He noted that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had set a December 1st deadline for compliance with the N70,000 minimum wage, leaving teachers with no choice but to act.

Baba confirmed that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had approved the new minimum wage, with the first payment expected to be made in November. However, he lamented that UBEC teachers had not yet benefited from this increase.

He also emphasized that FCT primary school teachers were still awaiting payment of a N40,000 peculiar allowance and a N35,000 wage award that had been outstanding for nearly a year. As a result, the strike is set to continue until the outstanding payments are addressed.