Strike Not Over Yet, Says NUT After Meeting With Wike

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wing, has said that the ongoing stike is still on, but will decide its fate after a crucial meeting with the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike.

Although the union acknowledged progress and what it called ministerial commitment toward addressing longstanding grievances, its leadership insisted that the industrial action remains in force pending a formal deliberation at the Union’s headquarters.

The NUT FCT chairman, Comrade Abdulahi Mohammed Shafa, told reporters on Thursday that the meeting focused on key shortcomings affecting primary school teachers, as well as personnel challenges in junior and secondary schools.

“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,” he said.

The union’s demands include filling vacancies to boost teacher morale, the immediate release of owed allowances and emoluments, and addressing the failure of area council chairmen to meet their primary education obligations.

Wike, however, revealed during the meeting that he had intercepted Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) allocations from the Area Councils, directing the treasury to pay teacher allowances directly.

“We have taken steps to resolve the sole responsibility of the councils,” Wike stated, expressing surprise that the union proceeded with the strike despite previous agreements.

But the NUT stood its ground, describing the action as a necessary response to the lapses and lack of involvement from the area council chairmen, who are the direct employers of primary school educators.

While the union commended the minister’s efforts in renovating schools, the leadership stressed that personnel welfare must go hand-in-hand with infrastructural development.

“The welfare of the teacher is the bedrock of quality education in the FCT,” Shafa reaffirmed.