Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, has waded into the industrial face-off between striking primary school teachers in the territory and Chairmen of the six Area Councils.
Speaking after a tour of the ongoing Apo-Karshi Road project on Thursday, the minister threatened to use the 10 per cent of Internally Generated Revenue IGR meant for the Area Councils to pay the teachers.
The FCT Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers NUT had last Wednesday declared a strike, demanding, among others, the implementation of 40% Peculiar Allowance, and payment of 25 months Minimum Wage Arrears.
Speaking on Thursday, Wike said no government would sit down and watch children staying at home as a result of a strike, adding that he has invited the Chairmen of the Area Councils and the FCT NUT leadership to deliberate on the issue.
He said; “I have invited the Area Council Chairmen and then I have invited the NUT, for us to sit down. These are the things we talked about. We try to do what we can do in order to see that the system is moving well. It is unfortunate, which I told the Area Council Chairmen, that the teachers are on strike.
“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”.
On the Apo-Karshi project, the Minister said the contractor, Messrs Kakatar Limited, had given assurances of completing the project in April 2025.
“I still have my doubts, but they are still insisting that by April, they would have completed this project. It is 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 it will boost the economic activities of this area. Let us give them the benefit of doubt”, he said. (Vanguard)
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