The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, has narrated how the sum of N4.1 billion released by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for the implementation of the national minimum wage was allegedly diverted by the chairmen of the six area councils.
The treasurer of the FCT chapter of the NUT, Emmanuel Ameh, stated this during an interview on Arise News, saying the council chairmen claimed the money was meant for “signature allowance”; instead.
Teachers in public primary schools within the nation’s capital have been on strike for over three months over issues relating to the implementation of the federal government-approved minimum wage.
Ameh explained that upon meeting the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, the former Rivers State Governor promised to pay the outstanding amount. He redeemed the promise the next day, and the money was released to the council chairmen, who were expected to effect the payment.
He said the chairmen refused to pay the teachers, and when the matter was brought before the National Assembly Committee on FCT and Salary, the council bosses appeared and told the lawmakers the money was for “signature allowance.
“We’ve taken this matter to his office [Minister of FCT] several times and at one point in the course of the ongoing strike that began on the 24th of March, 2025,”; he said.
“The Minister asked us why we shut down schools, we said minimum wage of 2024 has not been implemented and the area councils said they don’t have money to do that.
“He said ‘okay, union leaders, go and come back the next day’. When we returned the next day, the Permanent Secretary (Treasury) told us that the Minister had just approved N4.1 billion for the implementation of this minimum wage and we were glad.
“The minimum wage is just one out of the numerous problems that is facing an average primary school teacher in the FCT and the area councils. They did not implement that and that dragged us to the National Assembly, particularly, the committee on salary and FCT invited us and asked what was the problem and we told them.
“And the council chairmen, six of them were there and they asked them ‘did you receive N4.1 billion? They admitted that they received it.
“They were asked what they did with it and they said the money was not for the implementation of the national minimum wage, but a signature allowance.
“They (National Assembly committee) said, ‘what is signature allowance?’ They said that was what they told them the money was meant for.”;
DAILY POST reports that the state of primary education in the FCT is dire, as while other workers enjoy the new minimum wage, primary school teachers in the territory remain excluded.
