Wike, NUT locked in talks to end strike
Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike met yesterday with the leadership of the FCT wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Abuja as part of moves to end
Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike met yesterday with the leadership of the FCT wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Abuja as part of moves to end the strike called by the union.
Wike was said to have told the NUT members that the main reason for his intervention was to prevent schoolchildren from suffering.
He stated that it was a known fact that the payment of primary school teachers’ allowances and salaries was the sole responsibility of area councils.
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The minister expressed dismay that even with his previous interventions over strikes by the NUT, the problem still persisted.
His words: “This is the second or third time I have presided over this meeting that has to do with payment of teachers’ allowances and emoluments, as the case may be. And I set up a committee to see how this problem will be resolved.
“I even went as far as stopping the IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) allocation of the Area Councils and directed the Permanent Secretary, FCT Treasury, to see that the money is paid directly to take care of some of these issues, but it was surprising to me when the Chief of Staff told me he met with you and virtually agreed on everything, but it’s surprising that you still had to go on strike.”
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Addressing reporters after the meeting, chairman of the FCT wing of the NUT, Mohammed Shafa, disclosed that Wike pledged to take “immediate action” on the concerns raised by his members
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He expressed appreciation to the minister for the giant strides he was making in the development of the FCT’s education sector, but stated that the ongoing strike has not been suspended.
Shafa said the union’s leadership would reconvene to review the outcome of the meeting before taking a final position on the industrial action.
“We will return to our headquarters to deliberate on the discussions and determine the next line of action,” he said.
He said it is the expectation of the stakeholders in the education sector in the FCT to ensure that the strike is called off.
