Teachers with the Local Education Authority in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday called off their two weeks strike citing interventions by the senator representing the FCT, Philip Aduda and the FCT minister, Muhammad Bello.
The teachers, under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) had embarked on a strike claiming that the six area council chairmen in the territory had failed to pay their promotional arrears, among others, despite receiving millions as monthly allocations.
Some stakeholders in the sector accused the chairmen of paying lip service to the education of the children in the territory.
City News reports that between January and June this year, the six area councils received the sum of N9,293,186,316.83 as allocation from the federal government.
The councils are Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Gwagwalada, Kuje, Bwari, Abaji and Kwali.
The monthly allocations from January to June of this year as shared and published by the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) showed that the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) got the highest share of N1,812,824,324.62 followed by Gwagwalada, N1,762,189,508.83. Abaji got N1,497,645,081.29, Kuje N1,430,982,480.44, Kwali N1,420,503,508.7 and Bwari N1,369,041,412.95.
Yet, the teachers said there are backlogs of allowances that the chairmen had failed to pay them.
Comrade Stephen Knabayi, NUT chairman in the FCT, had said the strike became necessary because the chairmen were not serious about paying teachers allowances.
3 FCT council chairmen flew to Dubai while teachers were on strike
City News reports that three of the council chairmen flew to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates even as the strike by the teachers was ongoing.
The Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council and FCT ALGON chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mustapha, confirmed that three of the chairmen travelled abroad but was silent on the country they went to.
Comrade Ameh Baba, Chairman of the Kubwa branch of the NUT accused the area council chairmen of toying with the future of innocent children.
“Can you imagine that as the strike was ongoing, three of the chairmen travelled to Dubai last week and up till now they are there, possibly for Christmas shopping,” he said.
Ameh did not disclose the identities of the chairmen who went abroad during the strike.
Teachers suspend strike
The FCT wing of the NUT announced the suspension of the strike by the primary school teachers in the Local Education Authority (LEA) schools in the territory Wednesday morning.
Chairman of the wing, Comrade Stephen Knabayi, who stated this at the end of the union’s emergency meeting, said the suspension was premised on the interventions of Senator Philip Aduda and the FCT minister, Muhammad Musa Bello.
He said the council chairmen had promised to implement 2019 and 2020 promotions along with November salary.
“Consequently, all primary school teachers are to return to their duty posts with effect from Wednesday, December 1, 2021,” he said.
‘We have agreed to pay’
The Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council and chairman of FCT ALGON, Alhaji Adamu Mustapha, said the six area council chairmen have unanimously agreed to meet the demands of teachers of the Local Education Authority (LEA) in the territory.
He told City News on phone yesterday that though three of his colleagues were out of the country, they took the decision after the intervention of the FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello and Senator Philip Aduda.
He said the chairmen also agreed to commence the implementation of the teachers’ 2020 and 2021 promotion arrears.
“Despite the fact that three of our colleagues were out of the country when we made the commitment with the NUT, the resolution is still binding on all the area council chairmen to commence the payment from November salary,’’ he said.
