Public primary school teachers, Area Councils’ workers, and medical staff at the Primary Health Centers across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday staged a protest over non-implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage and other entitlements by the Council Chairmen in the territory.
The workers, under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), and National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwifery (NANNAM) staged a massive protest, blocking the main entrance to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike’s office at the FCTA Secretariat in Area 11.
Speaking to journalists at the FCTA’s gate, the State Chairman of the FCT wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas, who led the protests alongside other unions’ leaders, said the teachers decided to embark on the protest to present the unions’ position over the refusal of the six area councils’ chairmen to implement the new national minimum wage and the payment of other teachers’ entitlements.
He said it was unfortunate that despite the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, approving and releasing N4.1 billion to the Council Chairmen to pay the minimum wage, they were still adamant paying.
He said it was worrisome that primary schools, especially those in the rural communities, are in a dilapidated state, adding that some of the schools have been taken over by weeds due to the closure of the schools as a result of the ongoing strike by the teachers.
The Chairman of the FCT chapter of the National Association of Nurses and Midwifery (NANAM), Comrade Jamadi Medan, said members of the association had closed down all primary health centers across the six area councils since the strike started more than a month ago.
According to him, there are about 202 primary health centers across the six councils in the FCT, with less than 103 midwives manning them.
He added, “Again, we are very worried that the polio vaccination for the children is supposed to have commenced, but the strike has affected the exercise. This is going to affect the poor children, just because some people who call themselves area council chairmen have diverted the money given to them to pay health workers’ entitlements for their selfish interest,” he said.
The FCT NANNAM chairman added that apart from the minimum wage, there was also CONHESS salary and other entitlements, which are not being implemented by the six area council chairmen.
The FCT Mandate Secretary for Education received the petition letter from the protesters on behalf of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Reacting, the Minister condemned the Chairmen for neglecting their responsibility, stating that such insensitivity towards teachers is unacceptable.
“It’s unfortunate, but we have to tell ourselves the simple truth. The Area Council Chairmen, after I have approved money to be sent to them, for them to be able to pay the teacher. They were unable to do that. I got the report yesterday, and I’m able to summon all of them.”