Council Chairmen Lack Conscience For Neglecting Teachers’ Payment- Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Nyesom Wike, has accused the six Area Council Chairmen of lacking human conscience for refusal to pay primary school teachers and other council workers their rightful wages.

Wike stated this while responding to questions from journalists while inspecting projects on what he was doing to end the ongoing LEA industrial action in Abuja.

The question followed a protest staged earlier at the FCTA Secretariat by the joint Area Council workers and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) over non- payment of the new minimum wage and the arrears.

Dr Wike condemned the Chairmen for ignoring the plight of the striking workers, particularly teachers, who have downed tools in protest of the prolonged non-payment of the minimum wage.

The minister expressed shock that the chairmen still failed to pay their workers even after his fund approval as an intervention to settle the workers.

Dr. Wike, however, explained that he has summoned them for a meeting to chat a new course forward.

“I don’t know why people don’t have conscience that these are teachers who take care of our children, and you are happy that you are not paying them their salaries”.

“It’s unfortunate, but we have to tell ourselves the simple truth. The Area Council Chairmen, after I have approved money to be sent to them, for them to be able to pay the teachers. They were unable to do that. In fact, I got the report yesterday and I have summoned all of them.”

“You see, that’s the problem we have in this country. By the time you apply the big stick now, people will be saying all kinds of things.” Wike noted.

Wike emphasized that the FCT Administration does not directly oversee the councils, hence the need for the Chairmen to fully take responsibility for the welfare of primary school teachers and other council workers.

“These are primary school teachers, not secondary school teachers. You know the responsibility of the councils, they are in charge of the primary schools.So, I will summon them to a meeting”.

The minister appealed to the aggrieved workers and the NUT to be patient as efforts were ongoing to bring the FCT area chairmen to the table.

Earlier, Wike had inspected key ongoing projects including the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX), the Interchange at the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX), and the Life Camp Junction-N5-Ring Road 3 Expressway and expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work being done by the contractors.

Remi Johnson, Edited By Blessing Nyor