Residents and indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to urgently intervene and end the lingering strike by primary school teachers, which has left thousands of pupils out of school since early March.
The industrial action, which initially began with boycotts in December 2024, resumed in February and has disrupted academic activities in public primary schools across the territory. Despite interventions from the National Assembly and a ₦4.1 billion disbursement by the FCT administration to area councils for workers’ salaries, the strike remains unresolved.
Last Thursday, aggrieved teachers and council workers took to the streets in protest, barricading the entrance of the FCT Minister’s office in Area 11, Abuja. The workers demanded the immediate payment of their entitlements and an end to years of neglect by local authorities.
Addressing the situation during a meeting on Friday, the FCT Stakeholders Assembly, led by its President, Aliyu Daniel, expressed concern over the impact of the strike on the future of school children in the territory.
“We urge the Honourable Minister to wade into the matter and bring an end to the teachers’ strike. The future of our children must not be jeopardised,” Daniel said.
While commending Wike’s infrastructure projects, including the ₦50 billion potable water scheme for satellite towns, Daniel emphasized the need to prioritize education.
“No previous Minister has demonstrated this level of commitment. However, education is the foundation of our future. We need urgent action,” he added.
The assembly further called for strategic collaboration among FCT indigenes, locally and abroad, to ensure the political development and eventual attainment of statehood for the territory.
As the strike persists, stakeholders continue to urge dialogue and accountability from both local government officials and the FCT administration.
