Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has lashed out at the National Assembly’s Area Council Committees for their silence over the lingering strike by primary school teachers in the territory, accusing them of abandoning their oversight responsibilities.
Speaking on Wednesday during an inspection tour of ongoing projects across Abuja, Wike expressed deep frustration that lawmakers have failed to summon elected area council chairmen or intervene meaningfully, despite the prolonged closure of public primary schools in the FCT.
> “The chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on Area Councils should be asking why children are still at home,” Wike said. “But instead, they’re busy with irrelevant matters, summoning ministers to defend budgets outside their jurisdiction.”
He criticized what he described as misplaced priorities by the legislators and warned against politicizing the FCT’s administrative affairs.
> “We expected the committees to have called the area council chairmen and asked, ‘What’s going on? How do we resolve this?’ But their focus seems to be on creating division within the FCT. That strategy will not succeed,” he declared.
Wike underscored the gravity of the situation, describing the ongoing teachers’ strike as a direct threat to the region’s democratic and developmental goals.
> “Denying children education is like staging a coup in the FCT. It’s a major sabotage of democracy,” he warned.
The Minister assured residents that the FCT Administration is actively working to resolve the crisis and return teachers to the classroom.
> “No responsible government is comfortable watching its teachers sit at home. Behind the scenes, we are making efforts, and very soon, we believe this matter will be settled,” Wike said.
Public primary school teachers in the FCT have been on strike for several weeks over unmet demands, including improved welfare and working conditions. The strike has crippled learning for thousands of pupils across the six area councils.
