Teachers and students of LEA Ijayapi Primary School and LEA Byazhin Primary School, both under the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), stayed away from school on Monday in compliance with the directive by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to embark on an indefinite strike action.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that schools at about 7:55 a.m. were found deserted, with no teachers or pupils in sight. Classrooms were locked, while doors and windows remained shut.
According to LEADERSHIP newspaper, the State Wing Executive Council of the NUT had directed primary and secondary school teachers across the FCT to begin the industrial action on Monday, following an emergency meeting held in Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Friday.
The directive was contained in a communiqué jointly signed by the State Chairman, Abdullahi Shafa; the State Secretary, Margaret Jethro; and the State Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye.
In the communiqué, made available to journalists over the weekend, the union instructed teachers to comply with the strike and await further directives fully.
Parents were also advised to keep their children and wards at home until further notice, as teachers would remain off duty until their demands were met.
The union said the decision followed a review of the seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on March 11, which expired on March 29.
While commending the minister for implementing the N70,000 minimum wage and paying nine-month salary arrears owed to primary school teachers, the union expressed concern that other outstanding issues remained unresolved.
It recalled that the minister had constituted a committee on July 7, 2025, to harmonise outstanding entitlements of primary school teachers and recommend lasting solutions to recurring disputes.
Although the committee submitted its report in August 2025, the union noted that it had yet to be made public or implemented.
According to the union, the ultimatum became necessary due to delays in implementing the committee’s recommendations and the continued silence on teachers’ welfare amid prevailing economic challenges.
Among its demands were the release and implementation of the committee’s report, the removal of the “vacancies” condition tied to teachers’ promotion, and a comprehensive review of the 2024 promotion exercise conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission.
The SWEC expressed dissatisfaction that despite the expiration of the ultimatum and an additional 28-day grace period, there had been no meaningful response from the authorities.
“After exhaustive deliberations on the industrial issues and the silence on the legitimate demands of teachers’ welfare, the Council resolved that all public primary and secondary school teachers in the FCT shall, with effect from Monday, proceed on an indefinite strike until our demands are met,” the union said.
