The six Area Council chairmen in the Federal Capital Territory have agreed to forfeit 10% of their internally generated revenue (IGR) for the next six months to settle outstanding salaries and allowances owed to public school teachers. This decision was reached after a meeting between the council chairmen, the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and representatives of the National Union of Teachers (NUT).
The teachers had been on strike for three months over non-implementation of the minimum wage, prompting the intervention of Minister Wike. According to Abubakar Abdullahi, Chairman of Abaji Area Council, who spoke on behalf of the chairmen, the decision to forfeit their IGR was a painful one but was taken in good faith to resolve the crisis.
The agreement reached during the meeting stipulates that 10% of the Area Councils’ IGR will be withdrawn for the next six months to offset the teachers’ salaries. This move is expected to cover about 70% of the unpaid minimum wages owed to the teachers. A special committee has also been set up to address remaining issues within two weeks.
The NUT Chairman, Mohammed Shafa, acknowledged the deliberations but stated that he would get back to the NUT State Executive Council, where the final decision would be taken. The Minister’s Chief of Staff, Chidi Amadi, explained that the Minister’s intervention aimed to resolve the longstanding issues that led to the closure of public primary schools across the territory.
The decision to forfeit their IGR is seen as a significant sacrifice by the Area Council chairmen, who had initially been hesitant to agree to the terms. However, they have now accepted the decision in good faith, hoping that it will bring an end to the strike and allow children to return to school. The development is expected to have a positive impact on the education sector in the FCT, and stakeholders are hopeful that the strike will soon be called off.
