ABUJA — Primary school teachers under the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Local Education Authority (LEA) have urged the government and relevant authorities to address lingering bureaucratic delays in the payment of arrears and allowances, lamenting that the situation has deepened hardship and dampened morale among educators.
The demand was contained in an open letter addressed to Abdullahi Shafas, Chairman of the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and his executive team. The letter, signed by Isaac Ityav and made available to BusinessDay, commended the union for securing partial payments of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) arrears but criticized the slow pace of progress.
“Your efforts in securing partial payments of the National Minimum Wage arrears are acknowledged; however, the pace and scope of progress raise serious questions,” the letter stated.
The teachers questioned how long they must continue to wait for the full implementation of the 40 percent peculiar allowance, the ₦35,000 wage award, and the 25/35 percent salary increment allowances, describing them as crucial entitlements still unattended to.
They warned that the continued delay in addressing these payments undermines the dignity, motivation, and survival of teachers who are “the very builders of Nigeria’s future.”
“Teachers deserve clarity, not silence,” the forum emphasized. “If there are allowances they are not entitled to, the union must communicate this transparently. If they are entitled, then the delay must be explained and actively challenged.”
Ityav, in his closing remarks, urged the FCT NUT leadership to intensify its advocacy and rise above bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“Let your advocacy be bold, consistent, and visible. Let teachers see in you not just representatives, but relentless champions of their cause. The time to act is now,” he said.
Earlier reports indicated that FCT teachers resumed work on July 8 after more than three months of industrial action, following the implementation of the new minimum wage and payment of five months’ arrears.
A subsequent BusinessDay survey confirmed that some LEA teachers in Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, and Gwagwalada Area Councils have started receiving their June salaries reflecting the new ₦70,000 minimum wage.
The teachers had embarked on the strike on March 24, protesting the non-implementation of the national minimum wage policy, delayed payment of the 25/35 percent salary increment, non-payment of the 40 percent peculiar allowance, and failure to disburse the ₦35,000 wage award as agreed in 2022.
