The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has moved to resolve the ongoing teachers’ strike in Abuja by ordering the direct payment of their allowances and other entitlements.
The decision comes amid rising concerns over the prolonged shutdown of public primary schools across the FCT.
Wike announced the directive after a closed-door meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Abuja. The meeting focused on finding an immediate solution to the lingering dispute over unpaid salaries and benefits.
The Minister expressed dissatisfaction with how the issue had been handled so far. He pointed to procedural lapses, especially the exclusion of key stakeholders from earlier discussions.
“Unfortunately, there have been some lapses as the council chairmen were not invited.
“It would not be proper to hold such a crucial meeting without those directly affected,” the Minister said.
He explained that he had already chaired several meetings on the matter. He also set up a committee to look into the complaints raised by teachers. According to him, the fresh directive is aimed at breaking the deadlock and restoring normalcy in schools.
Wike disclosed that he took the extra step of intercepting Internally Generated Revenue allocations meant for the six area councils in the FCT. He said the funds would now be paid directly to teachers to clear outstanding obligations.
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