The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, will today (Thursday) hold a crucial meeting with chairmen of the FCT area councils, the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to finalise plans for the reopening of all public primary schools in the territory.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by NANS yesterday in Abuja, signed by its national president, Olushola Oladoja, and national public relations officer, Adeyemi Ajasa.
The student body revealed that it had initially planned a mass protest at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Secretariat on Wednesday morning but was invited for a high-level discussion at the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters.
According to the statement, the DSS meeting addressed the issues surrounding the prolonged strike by primary school teachers, focusing on national security and students’ welfare.
“Following the DSS engagement, we held a second strategic meeting with the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on FCT, Hon. Muktar Betara, where deeper insights into the crisis were provided,” NANS stated.
Subsequently, a third meeting was held with the FCT minister on Tuesday, where Wike clarified the financial responsibilities between the FCTA and the area councils.
“The minister explained that the FCT is the only unit in Nigeria operating full local government autonomy, meaning salary payments, including those of primary school teachers, are solely the responsibility of the area councils,” the statement noted.
Wike reportedly intervened by proposing a bailout arrangement where the FCTA would cover 60 per cent of the outstanding teachers’ salary arrears, while the area councils would pay the remaining 40 per cent.
However, when the councils failed to meet their obligation, the minister withheld their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for May and June, intending to use the funds to offset the 40 per cent balance owed to teachers.
“Based on this intervention, the withheld two-month arrears are expected to be ready before the end of the week,” NANS stated.
Following the progress made in the negotiations, the student body announced the suspension of its planned protest but vowed to monitor the implementation of the resolutions.
“We reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights of Nigerian students and ensuring that no child is denied access to education due to governmental lapses,” the statement concluded.
The Thursday meeting is expected to finalise the modalities for the immediate reopening of the schools, which have remained shut due to the industrial action by primary school teachers over unpaid salaries.
