By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
FCT public primary school teachers on Tuesday suspended a four-month strike action after members confirmed receiving payment alerts covering the new minimum wage and five months salary arrears.
Teachers are to resume to work on Wednesday, July 9th , 2025.
The FCT Chairman of the NUT, Abdullahi Shafas, who announced the suspension of the four-month strike on Tuesday night stated that the decision to suspend the strike was taken after an emergency meeting of the State Wing Executive Council, SWEC, where members confirmed receiving payment alerts and the release of N16 billion by the six Area Councils, representing six months’ worth of their 10 percent internally generated revenue, IGR.
The communiqué, which was jointly signed by FCT Chairman of the NUT, Abdullahi Shafas, along with the State Secretary, Margaret Jethro and the State Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye, read, “The SWEC-In-Session resolved to suspend the strike action on the release of the N16 billion and its payment to the teachers accounts.
“Consequent upon the implementation of the New Minimum Wage and payment of five months arrears into the teachers accounts today, 8th July 2025; the SWEC, hereby suspends the ongoing strike action.*
By the communiqué, all primary school teachers are therefore directed to resume normal duties “with effect from Wednesday, 9th July 2025 return to the classrooms and continue with their legitimate duties while the Union intensifies more efforts to ensure the settlement of the remaining entitlements.”
However, the union criticised what it described as the “insensitivity and lack of commitment” by education stakeholders in the FCT, but praised the FCT minister’s recent intervention, which compelled the six Area Council Chairmen to release N16 billion from their IGR share to settle part of the backlog.
“The SWEC noted that the Honourable Minister reiterated that the payment of FCT Primary School Teachers Salaries is the responsibility of the Area Councils but emphasized the inadequacy of their allocation to cater for the payment and therefore offered the release of the Area Councils six-month 10% FCT accrued internally generated revenue (IGR) amounting to N16 billion to augment for the payment of the New Minimum Wage for June and 60% of its nine-month arrears.”
The union also welcomed Barr. Wike’s proposal to set up a special committee “to harmonize all outstanding arrears” and work out a permanent funding solution for primary school teachers’ entitlements.
The NUT extended gratitude to its members “for their unwavering support, solidarity, cooperation, and prayers,” and acknowledged the role played by royal fathers, civil society organizations, and other well-meaning Nigerians during the crisis.
Recall that the FCT Minister Barr. Nysome Wike had called for an intervention meeting with all stakeholders to settle the lingering non payment of salaries and other entitlements.
End
