Public primary and secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are set to shut down immediately following a directive by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) instructing its members to join the ongoing strike by FCT Administration (FCTA) workers.
The directive was issued by the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) and communicated in a statement signed by the FCT NUT Chairman, Abdullahi Shafas; Secretary, Margaret Jethro; and Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye.
According to the union, the decision followed an instruction from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) directing all its affiliates in the FCT to fully comply with the strike action.
“All teachers in FCT primary and secondary schools are to stay away from classrooms starting Monday,” the communiqué stated.
The union emphasised unity among its members, noting that collective action was necessary in the pursuit of justice. It added that engagement with relevant authorities would continue until all unresolved issues affecting teachers are addressed, while urging members to remain calm and disciplined throughout the strike.
The Industrial Court of Investigation Report (ICIR) noted that the strike stemmed from a directive issued by JUAC President, Rifkatu Iortyer, and Secretary, Abdullahi Saleh, dated January 8. The directive ordered workers across all categories to withdraw their services from Monday, January 19, citing the government’s failure to address their demands.
JUAC said an ultimatum issued on January 7 expired without any meaningful response from the authorities. Among the union’s major grievances are the non-payment of outstanding promotion arrears, delays in promotion exercises and their results, and the continued service extension for retired directors and permanent secretaries, which it said was hindering career progression for serving officers.
The workers also accused the administration of failing to remit statutory deductions, including pension contributions and National Housing Fund payments, warning that such lapses could negatively affect the future welfare of staff. JUAC further expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2024 promotion examinations, describing the exercise as flawed and alleging that many of its members were unfairly affected.
On Monday, striking workers, with the support of the NLC, staged a protest at the Nigeria Industrial Court in Abuja. They were also reported to have attempted to block the convoy of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who allegedly exited the premises through a back gate to avoid the protesters.
