By kawaekwune Jeffrey
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has stepped in to address an ongoing industrial dispute between primary school teachers in Abuja and the Chairmen of the six Area Councils.
Wike expressed his commitment to ending the strike, which has disrupted the educational setting of pupils.
The New Diplomat reports that teachers under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), had embarked on strike last Wednesday, demanding the implementation of a 40% Peculiar Allowance and the payment of 25 months of Minimum Wage Arrears.
However, Wike while speaking after inspecting an ongoing Apo-Karshi Road project in the FCT on Thursday underscored the point that no responsible government would sit idle while children remained out of school.
He further disclosed that he has invited the Chairmen of the Area Councils and the leadership of the FCT NUT to a meeting to resolve the matter.
He said: “I have invited the Area Council Chairmen, and then I have invited the NUT, or us to sit down. These are the things we talked about. We try to do what we can to ensure that the system is moving well. It is unfortunate, which I told the Area Council Chairmen, that the teachers are on strike.”
Wike further revealed that he might resort to the use of internally generated revenue (IGR) to pay the teachers if the situation persists.
He continued: “That will mean that if the teachers are not paid, then I will use the 10% IGR, which nobody paid to them, to pay the teachers. I will not fold my arms and allow that to happen. No serious government will allow their teachers to stay at home while the children are suffering, I will not tolerate that.”
On the ongoing Apo-Karshi Road project, the Minister expressed skscepticism over the completion timeline provided by the contractor, Messrs Kakatar Limited.
“I still have my doubts, but they are still insisting that by April, they would have completed this project. It is a project very dear to us, we know the importance of this road. So many people are eager to see that this project is completed on time, o that it will ease off a lot of traffic and also it will boost the economic activities of this area. Let us give them the benefit of the doubt,” he said.
