As the primary school teachers’ strike in the Federal Capital Territory enters its second month, hundreds of children have abandoned classrooms for the streets, raising alarms about the growing social and psychological toll on the nation’s future.
The strike, triggered by the non-implementation of minimum wage and allowances by area council chairmen, has left primary school pupils idle, even as their secondary school counterparts prepare for third term examinations.
In Gwagwalada on Tuesday, Chairman of the FCT Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Alhaji Usman Abubakar, decried the worsening situation, warning that many children are now scavenging dumpsites and hawking goods, exposing them to crime, abuse, and psychological trauma.
“It is heartbreaking. Our children are now turning into scavengers while leaders play politics with their future,” Abubakar lamented, appealing to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to urgently intervene.
Wike, reacting to mounting pressure and a fresh protest by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), has summoned FCT area council chairmen and union leaders to a meeting, blasting the council bosses for failing to pay teachers despite receiving earmarked funds.
“You are not paying those who take care of our children. It’s a shame,” Wike fumed, vowing to wield the “big stick” if the crisis persists.
NUT Chairman, Abdullahi Shafa, accused the chairmen of diverting N4.1 billion released by the FCT Administration for the teachers, and called for probes by the National Assembly and EFCC.
While Wike has promised swift action, anxiety grows among parents and educationists that the damage to children’s education and emotional stability may be long-lasting if urgent steps are not taken.
FCT Pupils Turn Street Hawkers as Teachers’ Strike Bites Hard
