Kuje Council Teachers Embark On Indefinite Strike Over Unpaid Salaries

Teachers in primary schools across Kuje Area Council, Abuja began an indefinite strike on Monday over the failure of the council's chairman Abdulla Sabo, to come to an agreement with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

Audu Lucky, the Chairman of the Kuje branch NUT made this known in a statement signed by four union executive members and released to the News Agency of Nigeria in Kuje on Tuesday.

The Chairman said the teachers want their demands to be met by the council's Chairman and could no longer be taken for granted.

”The union observed with dismay the non-compliance by the Council Chairman to address the backlog of the Local Education Authority teachers’ outstanding entitlements,” he said.

Lucky said the union had reached out to the Council's Chairman in a letter dated 3/1/2023 with reference number NUT/169/5/138.

He added that a letter of ultimatum dated 2/12/2022 was also sent to the Union's branch Chairman.

“In view of the above, the union leadership is calling on all LEA Primary schools teachers in Kuje Area council to proceed on an indefinite strike action with effect from Monday, 9th Jan, 2023, until further notice.

“LEA Kuje primary school teachers are hereby directed to comply with this directive, please,” Lucky said.

Listing the union's demands, Lucky stated that the council Chairman stopped the payment of 2018 salaries to teachers in September 2022.

”Submission of the agreed template of payment of LEA teacher’s arrears to the JAAC Secretariat and continuation of the payment to Concerned teachers.

”Payment of salary to 2022 reabsorbed teachers, who have been working through January to December 2022 without salary,” he added.

He however noted that the branch and state levels of the branch requested a meeting Sabo to this effect but he refused.

Lucky confirmed that teachers in the area were ordered to neglect their duties while parents were told to keep their children at home.

Just as he refused to respond to the messages sent to him, all efforts by NAN to get Sabo’s comments also proved abortive as he did not return various telephone calls.

 The Chairman of the FCT Universal Education Board, Alhassan Sule, however, said all hands were on deck to resolve the issue.

 ”And I was telling the chairman that he should not allow only his local government to experience such an unfortunate situation.

”We are on top of the situation and we will soon convene a meeting between the union, the Area Council and the board with a view to finding plausible solutions to the problem.

”Education is very crucial as it is the foundation of every development and the FCT is not handling it with kid gloves,” Sule said.