Workers, under the umbrella of the Joint Unions comprising the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), staged a protest on Thursday.
The workers, who resumed their strike last month over the non-implementation of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage by Area Council Chairmen, blocked the entrance to the FCTA Secretariat in Abuja.
Protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Is it wrong to teach in primary school?” and insisted on meeting with the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, effectively restricting access to the secretariat for several hours.
Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, union leaders accused the Area Council Chairmen of elevating themselves to deities by allegedly diverting ₦4.1 billion approved by the FCT Minister for the payment of salary arrears.
Patients, particularly in rural communities—including nursing mothers—are facing serious difficulties accessing healthcare services as a result of the ongoing strike by workers in the six Area Councils within the FCT.
Efforts by the FCT’s two ministers, Nyesom Wike and Hajiya Maryam Mahmud, to resolve the crisis have reportedly yielded no results, as the Chairmen allegedly boycotted a dialogue meeting convened by the Minister of State, Hajiya Maryam Mahmud.
The Chairmen have also declined to speak to the press regarding the ongoing dispute over implementation of the new wage and other outstanding allowances.
Comrade Abdullahi Shafa, Chairman of the NUT, FCT chapter, explained the reasons behind the protest, stating:
“If you recall, in December, we began the push for implementation of the minimum wage. We held meetings with the Area Council Chairmen and reached an agreement that implementation would commence in January. That didn’t happen.
“We called a strike and later reconvened. They promised to begin in February. Again, they failed. The Minister then intervened and approved ₦4.1 billion for the six Area Councils to implement the wage. However, they absconded with the funds and have still not acted.
“The Minister has done his part, but the Council Chairmen have failed the workers. They now claim the funds are meant for projects or are ecological funds—spreading all sorts of falsehoods.
“That’s why we’re here today—to inform the Minister that his intervention has been ignored and to demand implementation. This is our priority now, though we have many other unresolved issues.”
He added that the national leadership of the NLC directed that no union leader should meet with government officials in their offices. “They must come out to address our members at the gate,” he said.
Jama Medan, Chairman of NANNM (FCT chapter), expressed deep concern over the worsening health crisis, noting that Nigeria ranks second globally in maternal and child mortality rates.
According to Medan, part of the protest is a response to the deteriorating health situation caused by the prolonged closure of over 270 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
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“We currently have fewer than 130 nurses and midwives managing these facilities. Women and children are dying because the centres have been closed for over a month,” he said, citing a dire shortage of healthcare personnel and lack of government intervention.
Hayyo Danlami, Mandate Secretary of the FCT Education Secretariat, addressed the protesters on behalf of the Minister. He assured them that their letter would be delivered and their concerns given due attention.
Meanwhile, the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, appealed to primary school teachers for patience, stating he has summoned the Area Council Chairmen to a meeting.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting ongoing projects in Abuja on Thursday, Wike said:
“It’s unfortunate, but we must be honest. After I approved the funds for the Chairmen to pay the teachers, they failed to do so. I received the report just yesterday and have now summoned all of them.
“This is the problem in our country—when tough measures are taken, people complain. But how can anyone with a conscience feel comfortable refusing to pay teachers who care for our children?
“These are primary school teachers, not secondary school teachers. Their welfare is the responsibility of the councils. I’m calling on the NUT to exercise patience. These issues will be resolved.
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