.Says, N18b needed to clear arrears

By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA: Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike has waded into the ongoing industrial action embarked on by primary school teachers and local government workers in the territory.

At the end of the meeting on Thursday, stakeholders resolved that 10 percent of the six months Internally Generated Revenue IGR of the Area Councils be used to settle 70 percent of outstanding liabilities to the teachers.

Chief of Staff to the minister, Chidi Amadi said the minister also addressed the issue of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees NULGE, saying it would have been counterproductive to resolve the teachers’ strike without addressing concerns of NULGE.

Speaking on the resolutions from the meeting, Chairman, Abaji Area Council, Abubakar Abdullahi who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said; “Resolutions were passed though they didn’t go in our favour as Council chairmen because our six months IGR have been completely taken to settle this issue. So ours is to plead with the NUT to look at our children and call off this strike.

“Please, NUT we are calling on you to respect the fact that the minister has ten his time to intervene in this matter. Clearly he has stated it. By law, he has no right to take the 10 percent of the IGR of the Area Councils to clear the outstanding debts of the NUT but the chairmen agreed because they want to have an end to the issue collectively agreed that the 10 percent six months IGR should go to the NUT. So, we hope before the close of work today, the union will call off the strike for our children to go back to school”.

Chairman, FCT Wing of he NUT, Abdullahi Shafa said he would communicate the resolutions from the meeting to the state executive council.

“Most of the issues presented to us, we have looked at them and we will get back to our Executive Council and we are going to take a decision”, he stated.

President, National Association of Nigerian Students NANS, Olushola Ladoja, said the teachers had requested 70% payment of the owed salaries and arrears, which all parties agreed to.

He said; “During the meeting, the NUT proposed receiving 70% of the owed sum. Based on calculations of the IGR, it was confirmed that this amount could be covered. The Honourable Minister has directed that the council chairmen’s IGR be used for this purpose and pleaded with the teachers to call off the strike. He also constituted a committee, which includes NANS, to look into other unresolved demands within two weeks”.

Earlier in a Media Chat monitored in Abuja, the minister had said N18 billion was required to settle arrears of the striking teachers.

“What we have done is even illegal, by seizing 10 percent of their May/June IGR. It will be difficult for these funds to be paid at once. Allow them to pay in phases”, he said.