Abuja teachers begin strike over unpaid allowances

Local Education Authority (LEA) teachers in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have embarked on a three-day warning strike over unpaid promotion arrears and allowances.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the primary schools visited in Kuje were securely locked up with no pupil seen on the premises.
Mr Mohammed Ahmed, Chairman, Kuje Area Council Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), said that the strike was called to press for the urgent payment of promotion arrears and allowances.

Ahmed said that the union began the strike on Wednesday after several efforts to get the council administration to pay the arrears and allowances failed.
“We have made several efforts and an agreement was reached with the area council on Jan. 8 for the payment of the promotion arrears.
“During the signing of the agreement, the council pledged that it would not default, but now the reverse is the case and we have no option than to call for the strike,” he said.

The chairman said that negotiations with relevant stakeholders to end the strike had commenced.
He, however, said that a meeting held on Wednesday ended in deadlock.
Mr Bulus Danladi, the Secretary, Kuje Area Council LEA, said that steps were being taken to resolve the issues at stake to get the teachers back to the classrooms.