Abuja:Partial enforcement marked the indefinite strike initiated by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday. The strike followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum given to the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike, regarding unresolved labor disputes and policy issues affecting teachers.
Accourding to News Agency of Nigeria, the union had instructed all workers in the FCT Administration, including those in the private sector, to participate in the strike. Many schools closed and sent students home as part of the strike enforcement. However, workers in the FCT Administration continued their duties without interruption, with expectations of a more comprehensive shutdown beginning Thursday.
Mrs. Margaret Jethro, Secretary of the NUT, FCT Wing, confirmed that compliance in schools was between 70 to 80 percent on the first day. She noted that while the first day of such actions typically sees less than full compliance due to late communication, there was significant participation, with expectations of total compliance by the following day.
NLC Council Chairman in FCT, Mr. Knabayi Adalo, explained that the strike was necessary after the FCT Administration failed to address the workers’ demands. Key issues included the removal of the vacancy condition for teachers’ promotions, which was seen as a cause of career stagnation and demoralization, and the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters for directors affected by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
Adalo also called for the reconsideration of 2025 eligible teachers to sit for their promotion exams alongside the 2026 batch and the dissolution and reinstatement of management teams at the FCT Secondary Education Board and the FCT Universal Basic Education Board. He expressed dissatisfaction with the FCT Administration’s response, describing it as dismissive and unacceptable.