The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) will issue a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) to settle the impasse and restore normalcy in the education sector and the area councils or face a shutdown.
Abdulsalam Haruna, coordinator at FCT LEA Teachers Forum, disclosed this to BusinessDay in a telephone chat, when he explained that Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, is yet to respond to the resolutions of ALGON, NUT, and NULGE submitted to his office on May 19, 2025.
“The NLC FCT council held its state executive council (SEC) meeting on Thursday, May 29, and the issue of the over two-month strike action and total abandonment of primary education in FCT was a topical discussion at the meeting.
“It was resolved, amongst other issues, that the NLC should give the FCTA a seven-day ultimatum to settle the impasse and restore normalcy in the education sector and the area councils or the whole of FCT will be shut down,” he explained.
Consequently, Haruna said that all members of NUT, NULGE and other affiliate unions in FCT are to get ready for further action if the needful is not done by the FCT administration before the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum.
The teachers in Abuja have proven that they cannot be held captive by the area council chairmen, who have suddenly become insensitive to the plight of the teachers.
Their repeated strikes, sometimes lasting for weeks, are not just demands for better pay but a desperate attempt by the teachers to “escape” the unbearable conditions.
Isaac Ityav, who commented on the impasse, said, “When teachers barricade government offices, it’s a stark declaration that they recognise their ‘prison’ and are actively seeking release.”
The FCTA, through the Area Councils, unwittingly employs strategies that, rather than keeping teachers docile, actually highlight their “imprisonment” and provoke their “escape.”
“The back-and-forth blame game between the area councils and the FCTA about who is responsible for paying teachers creates a sense of helplessness and a lack of clear authority. This “no landlord” situation reinforces the feeling of being trapped in a system where no one takes accountability.”
The most evident aspect of this “prison” is the persistent non-payment of salaries, minimum wage arrears, and other entitlements. Teachers are denied their basic livelihood, making it impossible to meet their needs and creating constant financial anxiety.
With that is the routinely broken agreements with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) by the area council chairmen, which is creating a cycle of distrust and frustration.
Beyond salaries, the physical “prison” of inadequate classrooms, lack of teaching materials, and a generally unconducive learning environment further degrades the teachers’ working conditions.
The constant need to protest and beg for what is rightfully theirs strips teachers of their professional dignity, forcing them into a state of perpetual struggle.
BusinessDay
