Following the strike action declared by Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) over non-payment of its members’ arrears and other entitlements, primary school teachers have turned back pupils who resumed classes on Monday in the FCT.
City & Crime went round some primary schools across the FCT to monitor resumption of schools and observed that pupils, especially of the public schools, were asked to go back home.
At the Pilot Science Primary School in Abaji Area Council, where our reporter visited, the entire school premises were deserted while classrooms were under lock and key with only the presence of the school’s security guard.
However, a parent who brought her three children to the school was asked to go back with her children at the entrance gate of the school by a teacher.
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A teacher, who simply identified himself as Muazu, said teachers decided to abide by the directive of the state union over non-payment of their promotion arrears and other entitlements by the council.
He said the teachers would not resume classes until the area councils pay their promotion arrears and other entitlements, adding, “That is why I came here to stand at the gate to ensure that any parent that is coming with his or her child should go back home.”
A parent, Mrs Hadiza Ibrahim, described the strike action as unfortunate, while appealing to the authorities of the area councils to liaise with relevant authorities to resolve the matter for the sake of the children.
“In fact, I just brought my kids to school when one of the teachers stopped me at the gate and asked me to return them home because of the strike, which is quite unfortunate,” she said.
At the LEA Central Primary School in Kwali Area Council, it was observed that the school also remained deserted with all classrooms under lock and key.
A teacher, who doesn’t want his name mentioned, said the teachers decided to shut down the school in compliance with the directive of the state union over non-payment of their promotion arrears and other entitlements.
He said the teachers have been relegated to a level that the government no longer gives them the desired priority, saying, “And that is why some pupils that came this morning were asked to go home until our demands are met,” he said.
Similarly, academic activities were also paralysed at Gada-Nasko Primary School, Gwagwalada, when our reporter visited the school.
The school classrooms and main gate remained under the lock and key, while some teachers stood in front of the gate in compliance with the union’s directive.
Also, LEA Primary School at Kayarda in Kuje Area Council was also shut as a result of the teachers’ strike.
In Kubwa town, Bwari Area Council of the FCT, some primary school pupils who reported at school on Monday were disappointed as their teachers turned them back home.
At the Kubwa 3 LEA model primary school, only two pupils were sighted within the school premises when City & Crime visited around 11 am with no single teacher present.
A security guard on duty told City & Crime that the few teachers that earlier came to the school stayed for some time to turn back pupils.
Speaking on the issue, the chairman of the Kubwa chapter of the NUT, Comrade Ameh Baba, said a meeting was held between their union and the Bwari area council chairman John Gabaya inside the chairman office regarding their demands.
“Out of the presented items, the area council had shown a serious commitment to resolve most of them. “We are taking the report back to our state chapter where we will appraise the discussion at various area councils.
“But we are yet to resolve the major item which is the 40 percent peculiar allowance, which the council said, is beyond their power and as such they would need the intervention of the FCT minister.
Comrade Ameh said the policy, which was approved in January this year, is yet to be honoured by all the area councils in the FCT, who run the primary schools.
A concerned parent in the town, Malam Faruku Umar, lamented that the primary school education in the territory is in jeopardy considering the series of strike actions that have been taking place in recent times.
Reacting, the state chairman of the FCT NUT, Comrade Stephen Knabayi, said it was quite unfortunate that despite several mails and ultimatums issued to the six area council chairmen to pay the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and other arrears, the chairmen have continued to remain adamant.
“And we are not going to call off the strike until the teachers’ demands are met. Even when we met with two among the area council chairmen on Sunday, the meeting still ended in deadlock,” he said.
Meanwhile, both junior and senior secondary schools in the FCT have resumed their first-term activities in the territory.
City & Crime visited some schools which included Government Secondary School (GSS) Kwali, Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Gwagwalada, and observed students were taking lessons in their various classrooms.
