Authority of the Nigerian Federal capital territory administration, FCTA, has met with the leadership of the FCT Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers to resolve some of the grey areas that led to five days warning strike embarked upon by the union to press home their demands for enhanced security in schools and payment of arrears of promotion benefits for teachers.
The meeting which was chaired by the FCT minister, Malam Muhammad Bello held in the office had in attendance the leadership of NUT and senior management officers of the FCTA and heads of some security agencies in the FCT.
Commenting on the strike action embarked upon by the NUT for the payment of arrears of promotion benefits for teachers for the years of 2016-2018, the FCT Minister informed the union members that the efforts will be made to pay all the promotion benefit arrears of the teachers before the end of the year, following the Permanent Secretary’s submission that all arrears for 2016 had already been paid and those for 2017 were scheduled for payment between November and December of 2021.
Speaking on behalf of the union at the end of the meeting, the NUT Chairman, Comrade Stephen Knabayi, expressed the appreciation of the union to the Minister for the pronouncement on the payment of promotion arrears of 2017 and 2018 before the end of the year.
Comrade Knabayi further appealed to the FCT Minister to intervene in the payment of arrears of LEA teachers under the administration of the Area Councils.
He then applauded the commitment of the security agencies and assurances given by the FCT Minister that all efforts will be made to protect the lives and properties of teachers and students within the FCT.
On when the teachers will return to the classroom, Comrade Knabayi said “from this meeting and from all the resolutions we will go back without waste of time.”
The NUT Chairman then assured the administration that leadership of the union will meet to discuss the resolutions at the meeting which the union delegate had with FCT officials, after which he said decision would be taken on the ongoing warning strike.
Earlier, the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Adesola Olusade, maintained that the issue of security raised by the teachers have been addressed extensively.
The Permanent Secretary added that the administration also gave the teachers assurance especially those of secondary school, that they will receive their outstanding allowances for 2017 and probably 2018 before the end of the year.
He added that the 2016 allowance arrears have been paid, with assurance that the FCT Administrations would meet the six area Councils Chairmen, on the need to clear the outstanding entitlement of the teachers in the six area councils.
Some of the issues that were also raised at the meeting include the security of teachers in FCT schools, the outstanding entitlement of the teachers in the six area councils, the 2016 to 2018 unpaid promotion arrears of the secondary school teachers among other welfare matters.
The NUT leadership was then briefed by heads of security agencies in the FCT made up of the FCT Commissioner of Police Mr. Babaji Sunday, State Director of the DSS, Mr. Ado Muazu and the State Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Peter Maigari. They said measures were being taken to improve the security situation in schools.
Also in attendance at the meeting were Margaret Jethro, Secretary, FCT NUT, Dr Mohammed Bashir, Director of Human Resources Management, FCTA, Mr. Abdulrazak Leramo Ag Secretary for Education and Dr. Abdulateef Bello, Ag Director of Security, FCTA and other senior officials of the FCTA.
