FCT chairmen forfeit IGR to settle salary arrears and end teachers’ strike after Wike-led peace meeting resolves deadlock
FCT chairmen forfeit IGR to end a prolonged teachers’ strike, following a decisive closed-door meeting convened by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Abuja.
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The meeting, held at the minister’s official residence, brought together the six Area Council chairmen, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and other stakeholders.
It aimed to resolve the over three-month industrial action by public school teachers across the capital.
The chairmen agreed to forfeit 10 per cent of their internally generated revenue for six consecutive months to pay outstanding salaries and allowances owed to teachers.
The resolution came after intense negotiations and pressure from the unions.
Abubakar Abdullahi, Chairman of Abaji Area Council, who spoke on behalf of the chairmen, described the decision as painful but necessary.
“We just finished a meeting with the minister, the leadership of the NUT, and all the Area Council chairmen. Though the resolution didn’t go in our favour, we agreed to it because we want peace,” he said.
The former impasse had stemmed from the government’s delay in implementing the December 2024 tripartite agreement, which promised teachers a N70,000 minimum wage, 25–35% salary arrears, a 40% peculiar allowance, the Federal Government’s N35,000 wage award, and promotion arrears.
Abdullahi explained that the 10 per cent deduction from IGR would be managed by the minister’s office to directly address the backlog of payments. He called on the NUT to show good faith by suspending the strike.
“By law, the minister cannot seize our IGR, but we willingly consented. For six months, the funds will go to pay teachers. We are appealing to the NUT to consider our children and call off the strike,” he added.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, NANS President Olushola Ladoja confirmed that 70 per cent of the owed sum had been secured through the council forfeiture and handed over.
“During our closed-door meeting, the NUT demanded a minimum of 70 per cent of their outstanding entitlements. When the IGR was calculated, we found that 70 per cent was available. The minister assured us that the money was already secured and disbursed,” Ladoja stated.
He also confirmed the formation of a joint resolution committee, including representatives from NUT, NANS, and the FCT administration, to address lingering issues such as promotion arrears and wage awards.
The committee is expected to submit its recommendations within two weeks.
The FCT NUT Chairman, Abdullahi Shafas, expressed appreciation for the minister’s intervention and promised that the union’s executive council would meet urgently to review the new offer.
“Although we still have unresolved issues, we have seen goodwill from the minister and chairmen. Our executive committee will meet to deliberate and take a decision in the best interest of our members and the pupils,” Shafas said.
The prolonged strike had severely disrupted learning across public schools in Abuja, affecting thousands of pupils and prompting nationwide concern over deteriorating education infrastructure and governance failures.
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With the new resolution, there is renewed hope that normalcy will return to FCT public schools in the coming days.
