WIKE MEETS AREA COUNCIL CHAIRMEN, NUT, NANS OVER TEACHERS’ STRIKE

Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, is set to meet with the chairmen of the area councils, representatives from the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Thursday. The purpose of the meeting is to finalize plans for reopening public primary schools in Abuja and address the ongoing strike by teachers over unpaid salaries.

NANS had initially planned a large protest at the FCTA Secretariat but decided to suspend it following a series of high-level discussions, including one with Wike and another with Muktar Betara, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the FCT.

Wike had earlier proposed a bailout plan, where the FCTA would cover 60% of the unpaid teachers' salaries, and the area councils would pay the remaining 40%. However, after the plan did not yield the desired results, Wike withheld the area councils’ Internally Generated Revenue for May and June to use the funds for the 40% share.

The withheld funds are expected to be released by the end of the week, allowing for the payment of the salary arrears. NANS has now suspended its planned protest, stating that it will closely monitor the implementation of the resolutions reached during the meeting.

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