By Solomon Okpo
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has accused the chairmen of the six area councils of misappropriating N4.1 billion meant for the implementation of the national minimum wage for public primary school teachers.
The allegation was made by the treasurer of the union, Mr. Emmanuel Ameh, during a recent interview on Arise News, where he revealed that despite funds being released by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the council chairmen claimed the money was instead for a so-called “signature allowance.”
Teachers in the FCT have been on strike since March 24, 2025, over the non-implementation of the federally approved minimum wage. While civil servants across other government departments have received the new wage, primary school teachers in the capital territory remain in limbo.
Ameh recounted how the union had approached Minister Wike at the height of the industrial action, and the Minister promptly promised to address the issue. The following day, the FCT treasury reportedly released N4.1 billion to the area councils for disbursement to the affected teachers.
“But when we followed up,” Ameh said, “the chairmen told the National Assembly Committee on FCT and Salaries that the money was not for teachers’ wages but for signature allowance. We were shocked.”
Appearing before the National Assembly committee, all six council chairmen admitted to receiving the funds but failed to provide a clear explanation of how they were used. Lawmakers were reportedly taken aback when the chairmen insisted the money was not intended for salaries, offering instead the vague justification of “signature allowance”—a term not recognized in official wage implementation frameworks.
The scandal has intensified scrutiny of financial governance in the FCT’s local councils, particularly regarding their handling of federal allocations intended to improve basic education.
The situation remains dire for FCT’s primary school teachers, who not only face salary neglect but also endure chronic underfunding of school infrastructure and welfare. The NUT says it is prepared to escalate its demands if government authorities do not urgently rectify what they call “a gross injustice to educators.”
