After over three months of silence and inaction, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has finally bowed to pressure—ordering the seizure of 10% of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the six Area Councils to pay outstanding salaries of striking primary school teachers.
The belated move came after a heated closed-door meeting last night involving Wike, Area Council Chairmen, leaders of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and National Assembly members.
The seized IGR, covering the last six months, is to be used to offset 70% of the backlog owed to teachers—many of whom have been plunged into hardship since the strike began.
But the decision, though welcome, is being viewed by many as “too little, too late.”
“This crisis should never have lasted this long,” said an angry NUT official who attended the meeting. “Three months of abandoned pupils, decaying classrooms, and Wike did nothing until he was backed into a corner.”
Teachers in the FCT had embarked on an indefinite strike after being pushed to the wall by years of neglect. Their demands included full payment of salary arrears, implementation of the 25% and 35% approved salary increases, disbursement of the 40% peculiar allowance, payment of the N35,000 wage award, and enforcement of a 2022 agreement outlining a unified template for teacher entitlements.
Rather than acting swiftly to resolve the crisis, the FCT Administration watched as schools shut down, students took to the streets, and public frustration mounted. It was only after mounting media pressure and mobilization by student groups that the Minister convened what insiders described as a “make-or-break” meeting.
As part of the new resolution, Wike also inaugurated a committee to revisit all outstanding issues and submit a comprehensive plan for long-term solutions. But critics remain skeptical.
“Committees are not new. What we need is commitment. For over 90 days, the future of Abuja’s children hung in the balance while the Minister watched,” a parent in Bwari lamented.
While some stakeholders cautiously welcomed the move, many questioned why it took a full-blown crisis for the FCT Administration to act.
“This isn’t leadership. This is damage control,” said a civil society activist monitoring the situation. “Wike must realize Abuja isn’t Port Harcourt. Grandstanding won’t fix basic education.”
As schools prepare to reopen, teachers are urging the committee to work with urgency and sincerity, warning that any attempt to reverse or delay the implementation of last night’s resolutions will result in a return to the picket lines.
For now, the city breathes a sigh of relief—but with eyes wide open.