With just three days to wrapping up the first-term examinations for primary school pupils in the Federal Capital Territory, pupils have been sent away from schools, as teachers embark on strike action in protest over the failure to implement the N70,000 minimum wage, in the six Area Councils.
The strike action which disrupted activities in primary schools, led to unceremonious dispersal of the pupils in the FCT and disruptions of the academic activities.
The schools had encountered several disruptions, with the most recent strike being on September 18, just 14 days after the term had resumed, which lasted until October 7, keeping students at home for nearly three weeks.
Read also: Workers ground activities in FCT, others over minimum wage tussle
Pupils who went to school on Monday to continue with their first term examination were turned back .
Reacting, Ameh Baba, Chairman of the Nigeria Teacher Union (NUT) in the FCT, Kubwa chapter, , said the action became necessary as, according to him, the area council chairmen in the territory have continued to owe them arrears.
“And now the ultimatum of December 1st deadline given by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for any state to comply with the minimum wage of N70,000 has come to effect. Hence we don’t have any option, but to comply,” he said.
Baba said the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike had approved the recent minimum wage, with the November salary being billed for the first payment. He, however, stated that the UBEC teachers among them were yet to witness the gesture.
He warned that the primary school teachers in the FCT would go on with the present strike, adding that the councils still owed them the N40,00 peculiar allowance, and N35,000 wage award of up to one year.
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