The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has directed the six area council chairmen to enforce a no-work-no-pay policy against teachers and other council workers participating in the indefinite strike declared by the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Wike gave the directive on Friday after meeting with the area council chairmen in Abuja, describing the strike as politically motivated and arguing that the issues raised by the union had either been resolved or were being addressed.
“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. We will not accept it because there’s no basis for anybody to call for a strike,” he said.
The minister maintained that there were no outstanding disputes involving the local government areas, local education authorities or primary schools, adding that matters relating to promotions and other administrative issues were being handled.
“We don’t have any issue with the local government areas, local education authorities, or primary schools,” he said.
“The issue of promotion is ongoing, and the issue of directors is an establishment matter,” Wike added.
He also claimed that some stakeholders in the education sector, including representatives of senior primary school teachers and the National Union of Teachers (NUT), had distanced themselves from the strike.
“All the things they are talking about have been agreed upon and are being implemented, so why do we go on strike?” he asked.
Wike directed the area council chairmen to ask teachers and other workers to resume duty, warning that those who continued to stay away would forfeit their pay for the period of the strike.
“I’ve directed the area councils to go back and call their teachers and civil servants. If anybody does this, we’ll implement ‘no work, no pay.’
“Enough is enough; we can’t continue with this,” he said.
The minister accused the FCT NLC leadership of using the strike to create a political crisis ahead of elections. He cited the union chairman’s alleged involvement in partisan politics, claiming that he had contested an area council election under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“If you ask who the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress is, he was a former Area Council candidate of the ADC in the last election,” Wike said.
He alleged that the strike was intended to portray the FCT as being in crisis by keeping pupils out of school and raising concerns about the administration’s ability to manage the territory.
“You can see his interest trying to see that FCT is in crisis, and then wants to use it as a political tool, that FCT teachers are at home, nobody is teaching students, so how can you now go for elections when pupils are at home?” he said.
Wike urged union officials interested in partisan politics to leave their leadership positions rather than use organised labour to pursue political interests.
“If you want to involve yourself in politics, you are free to do so, but excuse yourself from the leadership of the union so you don’t politicise it,” he added.
The NLC’s position on the minister’s claims and the union chairman’s response to the allegations were not included in the statements provided.
In a separate development, Wike said the FCT Administration would intensify enforcement against unauthorised commercial activities along the corridor between Gwagwalada and Asokoro, citing reported security concerns.
He said the administration had received reports of attempts to establish beer parlours, motor parks and other businesses without the required approvals.
“We have been told of some issues of security threats extending from certain areas of Gwagwalada to Asokoro, where some people are trying to open up beer parlour businesses, motor parks, and all of that.
“There are no such approvals, and we will not allow that,” he said.
The minister directed the Department of Development Control to work with security agencies to remove illegal structures and stop unauthorised businesses along the corridor.
