No work, no pay, Wike tells striking FCT teachers

By Daniel Tyokua

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has directed the six Area Council chairmen to enforce the no work, no pay policy against teachers who refuse to return to the classroom.

Wike described the ongoing strike by FCT teachers as politically motivated and unnecessary, insisting that the FCT Administration had no unresolved issues with the teachers to justify the industrial action.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), FCT Council, had on October 7 declared an indefinite strike, shutting down public schools across the nation’s capital.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Knabayi Adalo, the NLC said the strike followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on September 8, 2026, over unresolved welfare issues affecting teachers.

Adalo said the union rejected the FCTA’s official response to its demands, describing it as unacceptable.

However, briefing journalists after a meeting with the six Area Council chairmen in Abuja on Friday, Wike said the administration would not accept the strike, arguing that the issues raised by the union had either been resolved or were being addressed.

The minister accused the NLC chairman of instigating the strike for political reasons, alleging that Adalo contested the last Area Council election for the chairmanship of Kuje Area Council on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Wike said: “We want to state categorically and let it be known to the public: this so-called strike declaration is political, and we will not accept it.

“We will not accept it because there’s no basis for anybody to call for a strike.

“We don’t have any issue with either the local government area, the Local Education Authority or the primary schools. We have no issues.

“That’s why you see the body of senior primary school teachers has said no, we cannot be party to this strike because it’s uncalled for. All the things they are talking about have been agreed upon and are being implemented, so why do we go on strike?”

On the issues raised by the union, Wike said the promotion exercise was ongoing, while the matter concerning directors was an establishment issue that could not be altered by the union.

“The issue of promotion is ongoing. The issue of the director is an establishment matter, which the NLC cannot come now to change.

“I’ve directed the Area Council chairmen to go back and call their teachers and civil servants. If anybody does this, we’ll implement ‘no work, no pay’.

“Enough is enough. We can’t continue with this. And if you ask who the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress is, he was a former Area Council candidate of the ADC in the last Area Council election,” Wike said.

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