As the day goes by, the economic hardship in Nigeria bites harder and now, teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, say they can’t bear it any longer.
As we speak, they have launched a strike just three days before the completion of terminal exams.
This protest sterms from the failure of area councils to implement the new minimum wage of ₦70,000 approved by President Bola Tinubu.
Students who showed up to continue their first-term exams were sent home as the strike action took the center stage.
Abuja Strike
The strike has disrupted the education of primary school pupils in the FCT, who have already experienced multiple work stoppages by their teachers this term.
Also Read: New Minimum Wage: Why NLC Is Insisting On December 1 Protest
Furthermore, comrade Ameh Baba, Chairman of the Nigeria Teachers’ Union (NUT) in the Kubwa chapter of the FCT, explained that the strike was prompted by the continued non-payment of arrears by the area council chairmen.
His words: “And now the ultimatum of December 1 deadline given by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for any state to comply with the minimum wage of ₦70,000 has come into effect. Hence, we don’t have any option but to comply.”
Meanwhile, Baba noted that while the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had approved the minimum wage and arranged for the first payment with the November salary, teachers under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) had not received this adjustment.
