Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike on Friday directed chairmen of Abuja’s six area councils to enforce a strict no-work, no-pay policy against teachers and other workers taking part in the ongoing strike by the FCT chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Nigeria Union of Teachers.
Speaking after a meeting with the council chairmen, Wike described the industrial action as political and without basis. He said the chairmen had been instructed to make clear to teachers that anyone who participates would face the penalty, and to clamp down on unapproved absences.
“We have directed the chairmen of the area councils to call their teachers and state clearly: if anybody participates in this, we will implement no-work, no-pay. Enough is enough; we cannot continue with this,” he said.
Wike rejected the grounds for the strike, insisting that legitimate demands raised by the teachers—including promotions and operational matters—had either been substantially resolved or were already being implemented. He stated that the FCT Administration had no outstanding issues with the Local Education Authorities or primary schools.
“We want to state categorically and let it be known to the public: this so-called strike declaration is political, and we will not accept it. There is no basis for anybody to call for a strike,” the minister said.
He noted that secondary school teachers and other key segments of the unions had kept away from the action, recognising that the demands were being met.
Wike also questioned the neutrality of the local NLC leadership. He alleged that the union chairperson had contested the last February FCT area council elections as a candidate of the African Democratic Congress and was using the strike as a political tool to create crisis and tell voters that pupils were at home.
“You can see his interest. He is trying to ensure the FCT is in crisis as a political tool… If you want to involve yourself in politics, you are free to do so, but excuse yourself from holding union leadership so you don’t politicise it,” he said.
The NLC had on Wednesday directed workers of the FCT Administration and those in the private sector to begin an indefinite strike over unresolved issues between the FCTA and the NUT. The demands include the withdrawal of the redeployment of some directors in agencies under the FCT Education Secretariat, the rescheduling of the 2025 promotion examination, and the removal of a vacancy precondition for promotion.
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