Wike Threatens to Use Area Councils’ IGR to Pay Striking Teachers

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has threatened to use 10 per cent of Internally Generated Revenue due to the six Area Councils of the FCT to settle striking teachers’ entitlements.

Wike issued the threat while responding to journalists on the FCT Administration’s intervention in the impasse between the primary school teachers and the six area councils of the FCT.

“It is very unfortunate that the teachers are still on strike. If the teachers are not paid, I will use the 10 per cent of IGR which we normally pay to the area councils to pay the teachers. I will not fold my hands and allow that to happen. No serious government will see their teachers stay at home and their children are suffering. I will not tolerate that; I won’t,” the minister said.

The FCT Wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) on September 18 resumed industrial action over unresolved welfare issues between it and the six area councils of the territory. The strike is a continuation of earlier ones suspended by the union in October 2023 and in January 2024.

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Some of the unresolved issues are non-payment of 60 per cent of the 25-month-old minimum wage arrears, and non-implementation and payment of 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increase.

Others are non-implementation and payment of 40 per cent peculiar allowance, non-payment of the N35,000 wage award arrears and the non-implementation of the template on outstanding entitlements of teachers as agreed in 2022.

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The union said that the FCT Minister had earlier intervened and promised to pay 40 per cent of the outstanding 25 months minimum wage arrears. As part of the resolution for suspending the strike, the six area councils were expected to pay the remaining 60 per cent of the minimum wage arrears.

The teachers acknowledged that Wike had redeemed the 40 per cent pledge, while the area councils’ chairmen have not fulfilled their part of the agreement.