Hamas Consulting with other Palestinian Groups on Ceasefire

In order to settle the labour crisis in the six Area Councils in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike on Thursday said with the approval of the Six area councils chairmen to use 10% of their six months Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to settle the striking teachers.

This was agreed after the joint meeting between the FCT Minister, FCT-NUT, the Area Council Chairmen and the NANS Leadership in Abuja.

Before the commencement of the meeting, Wike while briefing the journalists said his administration would not succumb to any blackmail because it is not FCT that is owing the teachers but the six Area Councils.He said he had earlier agreed with them to pay about 60% of the money being owed.

According to Wike, “I agreed and paid 60% of the money the area council chairmen are owing.”Let the record be straight, when people fail to appreciate what others do for them, one thing I won’t succumb to is blackmail. Let it be on record that FCT is not the one owing, it is the Area councils that are owing.”But as a responsible organization of the government, we will intervene and see what we can do but to carry our children to sit on the ground is uncalled for and am not the one that would be happy about such a thing.”If you like, do whatever you like. The truth about the country is that we believe that blackmail is the only way to achieve result”.He continued, “Just recently I saw workers blocking my office, we have a Head of Service we can discuss with, they sent me their file.”However, when they brought the files I would have said no, I haven’t been able to enter the office because they blocked the gate and if I can’t enter the office, how do you want me to sign the file.”But look at the reality on the ground and how we can solve the problem. That is the normal thing all over the world. I believe that we would be able to resolve their matte”.Wike said he is being careful about seizing their money because he knows he would be criticized, that is why he wants to follow the process in order to achieve results.”Let’s follow the process to achieve the results we want to achieve. If it is by blackmail we won’t achieve anything. Let Heaven come down. I will not because my hands are clean.”This is the only country where people go on strike because they want to share money but won’t go on strike because there are no chairs in the school or the school is leaking but go on strike because of salary and allowance.”If we want this country to go down it is our own and if it goes up it is our own. Let us do things for the survival of this country not for our own selfish reasons”.The Chief of Staff of the FCT Minister, Hon. Chidi Amadi, while briefing journalists after the meeting said the matter has been put to rest.He said, “The whole matter has been put to rest. The accrue 10% IGR for the past 6 months would be used to settle the matter.”A committee would be set up to revisit all the outstanding issues and would be resolved. And also the outstanding issue on NULGE would be sorted out by the FCTA so that the Area Councils would start functioning”.Chairman of the FCT (Federal Capital Territory) chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Abdullahi Shafas, said his team would report back to the State Executive Council (SEC).He said, “We have looked at most of the issues presented before us and we will get back to our state executive council and where we are going to take our decisions we will get back to you”.Chairman of Abaji Area Council is Hon. Abubakar Umar Abdullahi, who spoke on behalf of the other Area Councils chairmen, appealed to the striking teachers to immediately call off the over 3 months strike.He said on behalf of others, they unanimously agreed that 10% of their IGR for six months should be used to settle the striking teachers, “It didn’t go to the favor of the six area council chairmen because10% of our six month IGR would be used to settle this issue.”That is why we are pleading with NUT to look at our children in good faith and call off this strike.”So NUT we are urging you to call off the strike since the FCT Minister has intervened even though by law, he has no right to hold the IGR but the Minister has appealed and the chairmen agreed because we want to have an end to this issue so we have agreed. That 10% of the area councils IGR should go to the NUT. By the end of today we hope the NUT would call off the strike”.