*As Primary School Teachers Suspend Strike Following Minister’s Intervention
By Felix Durumbah, Abuja
Striking public primary school teachers in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) resumed work today following the intervention of FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, in their demands which sparked the industrial action in the first place.
The teachers had on 20 April this year withdrawn their services over non-release and non-implementation of the report of the 2025 Ministerial Committee on payment of their outstanding entitlements running into several billions of Naira.
Also, they downed chalk following their displeasure at a precondition of vacancy availability slammed on them by the FCT Civil Service Commission, headed by Mr Emeka Ezeh, with the teachers viewing such proviso as hindering their career progress.
However, yesterday, the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) met in Abuja and decided against continuing the strike, which had paralyzed academic and other activities in the affected schools, even in rural areas.
A communique from the NUT SWEC meeting, a copy of which was made available to People&Politics, dated 26 April 2026, and signed by the trio of NUT FCT State Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Shafa; State Secretary, Comrade Margaret Jethro; and State Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ibikun Adekeye, called off the strike.
The SWEC predicated their decision on Wike’s intervention to the effect that he (Minister) okayed the release of N2billion from FCT’s internally generated revenue (IGR) stock and N3bn from the IGR of FCTA’s six Area Councils, to offset the teachers’ first demand.
Implementation of this commitment will be monthly till the total owed for the allowances, including the vexed Peculiar allowance, is cleared.
On the aspect of vacancy as promotion precondition, the union leaders quoted Wike as saying he was not put in the know of the matter, implying that,most probably, the Chairman, Civil Service Commission singlehandedly imposed the condition and without authorization.
Insiders at the meeting told People&Politics that the Minister was angry over such situation as “he doesn’t want any issues with labour again.”
However, the union leaders stated that the Minister promised to summon the Chairman on the matter, for possible resolution of the career-critical matter.
On the strength of these, the SWEC stated, after “exhaustive deliberations”, the union suspended the industrial action and directed all teachers to resume work today.
At the LEA Primary School, Gbagalape, near Nyanya, in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), few pupils and teachers were seen in the morning reporting for academic activities.
Reports from correspondents in several other Area Councils also showed that there was a fairly sizeable turnout of staff members and pupils today, with the numbers expected to go up from tomorrow.
*PHOTO CAPTION: A typical classroom session in a primary school in FCT.
