By Daniel Tyokua
A cross section of primary school teachers in the six Area Councils of the Federal Captial Territory have urged the minister, malam Muhammad Musa Bello to Wade into the refusal by the chairmen to pay them minimum wage.
The teachers position came after a meeting between the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the area council chairmen over the payment of the new minimum wage of primary school teachers ended in deadlock.
The union had in early August, 2020 issued a seven days ultimatum to the area council chairmen to pay the primary school teachers new minimum wage.
A teacher in Bwari Area Council who don’t want name mentioned, told The AUTHORITY that since implementation of the minimum wage they have not being paid.
Another teacher in AMAC also said the council chairmen were playing game with teachers’ welfare.
“Is only minister of the minister that can prevail of the council chairmen to pay us the minimum wage”
Recall that the union held a meeting recently which was presided over by the board chairman of the Area Council Service Commission (ACSC) board chairman , Alhaji Isah Ramat, director of UBEB, NULGE, six area council chairmen and some senior staff of the commission.
At the end of the meeting, the chairman of the FCT wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Comrade Stephen Knabayi, said the meeting ended in deadlock as the union and the six area council chairmen could not arrived at a dialogue.
He added that the reason the union could not arrived at compromise with the council chairmen was because they complained of financial constraints, LEA staff verification, which he said the union rejected reasons in totality.
According to him, the union has also disagreed with the claim of the council chairmen of their plans to source for funds from the savings of the FCT administration in order to pay the teachers new minimum wage.
“So to us as a union, we are asking the area council chairmen why are they now giving us all these flimsy excuses after 17 months ago when they ought to have paid the primary school teachers new minimum wage,” he said.
He said it was unfortunate that despite available avenues the union had exhausted in getting that the new minimum wage of the teachers are paid, the area council chairmen will end up reneging on their promise.
The chairman of Gwagwalada area council, Alhaji Adamu Mustapha, who is also the FCT ALGON chairman, said the association will meet with the minister of state for FCT, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, to delibrate over the payment.
