FCT primary school teachers down tools, FCT UBE distances self from blames

The Federal Capital Territory Universal Basic Education has come out to say that they are not owing FCT teachers’ salaries to make them embark on indefinite strike, that the area councils chairmen should be blamed for the primary schools’ teachers strike.

FCT UBE made this known in a press briefing in Abuja via its Executive Chairman, Dr Alhassan Sule, Executive Chairman, FCT UBE Board who made this known in a press briefing in respect to the primary schools strike yesterday, said they were surprised to receive a letter from the NUT secretariat with the informing and directing them that all teachers in the primary sector should not to resume on Wednesday.

He said that the FCT administration has been doing its best for FCT teachers, that in December, all teachers that are under the payroll of the FCT administration were paid, that they are not owing to any teacher salary.

Sule further explained that at the local government level, they were able to implement promotions, but the issue of arrears became a problem.

“I could remember that in December NUT and the local government had an agreement to suspend their strike based on the agreement that they are going to have a round table to discuss the template on how they are going to implement the arrears.

“I believe that what the area council did by not inviting the NUT to a round table discussion is one of the reasons that they decided to go back to strike.

“They are not talking of the arrears now, but that they should come together and get a workable template on how they are going to decrease all the outstanding arrears date back to 2015, 2016 till date in the local government arrears,” he said.

Sule stressed that as well as FCT teachers’ welfare is concerned, the FCT administration does not play with it.

“They have paid all promotion arrears as far as FCT education is concerned. But that of local government has to do with friction between the LEA secretaries and their chairmen when it has to do with the employment of teachers.”

FCT NUT chairman, Comrade Stephen Knabayi, while speaking during the briefing, also explained that as far as NUT is concerned, the payment of teachers’ salaries in LEA schools, FCT has been prompt and regular. We do not have any issue with that as far as NUT is concerned.

“We have been part of the meeting and members of JAAC where allocations come from the federation account and shared accordingly, where the issue of teachers salaries is made a frontline charge. Also, there is never a time when salaries are held by the six area councils.

“But presently, we have directed that schools should be shut down in the six area councils with effect from today Wednesday. That has to do with the outstanding arrears and the none payment of the arrears of the new national minimum wage, and some months of annual increment in some LEAs,” he said.

Recalled that primary school teachers in the FCT had embarked on indefinite strike towards the end of last year, but backed down on it when the FCT Minister intervened, but they down their tools today since the Area Councils in the FCT has failed to fulfil their part of the bargain by not paying them arrears of the new minimum wage.

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