By Daniel Tyokua
Teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have started feeling happy as the minister Malam Muhammad Bello has waded into the crisis between them and Council chairmen over security in schools and unpaid wages.
The FCT wing of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), had embarked on a five day warning strike to demand for better security in schools and payment of arrears of promotion benefits for teachers from 2016-2018.
During a meeting chaired by the minister of FCT Malam Muhammad Bello at the weekend, he told members of the union that efforts will be made to pay all the promotion benefit arrears of the teachers before the end of the year.
This, according to him, followed the Permanent Secretary’s submission that all arrears for 2016 had already been paid and those for 2017 were scheduled for payment between November and December of 2021.
The NUT leadership was briefed by heads of security agencies in the FCT made up of the FCT Commissioner of Police Mr Babaji Sunday, State Director of the DSS, Mr Ado Muazu and the State Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Peter Maigari. They said measures were being taken to improve the security situation in schools.
At the end of the meeting, the NUT Chairman, Comrade Stephen Knabayi said that the Union appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and assurances from the FCT Minister that all efforts will be made to protect the lives and properties of teachers and students within the FCT.
He also expressed the appreciation of the union to the Minister for the pronouncement on the payment of promotion arrears of 2017 and 2018 before the end of the year.
On the return of teachers to the classroom, the NUT chairman said “from this meeting and from all the resolutions we will go back without waste of time”
He also appealed to the FCT Minister to intervene in the payment of arrears of LEA teachers under the administration of the Area Council.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola said “it was agreed that for us in the FCT, the allowances of our teachers will be paid for 2017, since 2016 had already been paid and that consideration should also be given to prioritizing payment for those in the teaching profession of 2018 before the end of the year.
