The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, September 26, threatened to use ten percent of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) meant for the Area Councils to pay striking primary school teachers in the nation’s capital.
The minister disclosed this while inspecting the ongoing Apo-Karshi Road project.
Wike, who expressed displeasure over the development said he would not allow pupils to be affected by the strike which has gone on for over a week.
He said no serious government would fold its hands and allow teachers to suffer.
NUT had last week directed all primary school teachers across the six area councils to shut down all the primary schools after the 14-day-ultimatum issued to the six area council chairmen elapsed strike on Wednesday, 18th September 2024, without a response from them to their demands.
The striking teachers are demanding the remaining 60 percent of 25 months of minimum wage arrears owed them as well as other benefits.
The minister added that he had invited the Chairmen of the Area Council and the FCT NUT leadership to discuss the issue.
“I’ve invited the Area Council Chairmen and then I’ve invited the NUT, and let’s sit down. These are the things we talk about. We try to do what we can to see that the system is moving well. It is unfortunate, which I told the Area Council Chairmen, that the teachers are on strike”.
“And that will mean that if the teachers are not paid, then I will use the 10% IGR, which nobody paid to them, to pay the teachers. I will not fold my arms and allow that to happen. No serious government will allow their teachers to stay at home while the children are suffering, I will not tolerate that”, he said.
Speaking on the Apo-Karshi project, the Minister said the contractor, Messrs Kakatar Limited, had given assurances of completing the project in April 2025, noting that he had opted to give the contractor the benefit of the doubt.
He said: “The last time we came, we believed that each of the contractors had moved back into sight. Obviously, we thought that within 7 months, they ought to have completed, but unfortunately, the contractors were not able to move to the site because of some procurement processes. But thank God we have passed that stage and they have also been mobilized to move to the site.
“I still have my doubts, but they are still insisting that by April, they will have completed this project. It’s a project very dear to us, we know the importance of this road. So many people are eager to see that this project is completed on time so that it will ease off a lot of traffic and also will boost the economic activities of this area. Let us give them the benefit of the doubt”, he stated.
“Parents have expressed concern over the closure of primary schools across the six area councils of the FCT, following the ongoing strike action by the Local Education Authority (LEA) teachers”.
