By: Abba Onyekachukwu, Abuja.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has announced plans to withhold 10% of the statutory allocation to the FCT Area Councils due to their failure to pay primary school teachers’ minimum wage. In a press statement from Rabi Musa Umar, Assistant Director, Press, Office of the Minister, on Monday, this decision comes in response to the ongoing strike by teachers demanding payment of their entitlements.
Teachers’ strike is over non-payment of the new minimum wage by Area Councils, with Wike describing the situation as “embarrassing,” stating that 10% of the Area Councils’ Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) would be withheld to ensure teachers are paid directly. On direct payment, a committee, according to him, will be established to oversee the direct payment of teachers’ salaries.
Wike, however, emphasized that the FCT Administration cannot fold its arms while children are out of school due to the strike, despite the council’s autonomy, even as he also highlighted several infrastructure projects slated for inauguration during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second anniversary celebration.
These projects include: Completion of roads in Ketti, Takushara, A2 to Pai, Ushafa, and War College areas across four Area Councils; Renovation of the ICC, described as an “eyesore” before the renovation, with a maintenance contract signed with Julius; Partnership with Chinese construction giant, CGC, to extend water supply to satellite towns like Bwari, Kubwa, and Karu; and Enhanced security measures, including CCTV cameras, to combat vandalism and ensure the arrest of perpetrators.
Wike also addressed other initiatives, including: Prompt payment of salaries and pensions, staff training programs, upgraded office infrastructure, and improved promotion processes; Commitment to transparency and accountability, warning against corrupt practices; and Recent defections from PDP to the ruling party attributed to impunity and poor leadership within PDP.