NULGE and NUT decry “adamant” Area Council Chairmen for failing to pay workers despite federal funding, wage awards, and pension deductions.
Byline:
By IDNN Labour Correspondent | April 25, 2025
[ABUJA] — Teachers and local government employees across the six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) took to the streets of Abuja on Thursday, 24th April 2025 staging a peaceful but pointed protest over the non-payment of the newly approved ₦70,000 minimum wage and other outstanding entitlements.
The demonstrators, under the banners of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), chanted solidarity songs and carried placards demanding justice and parity with their colleagues under the FCT Administration, who have already started receiving the revised wage.
“The situation is both insulting and unsustainable,” said Comrade Sa’ad Abdulmumin, Secretary of FCT NULGE, during a press briefing in Gwagwalada earlier in the week.
₦4.1bn Released, But No Payments Made
According to Comrade Sa’ad Abdulmumin the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had already approved and disbursed ₦4.1 billion specifically earmarked for the implementation of the new wage regime. Yet, the six Area Council Chairmen—Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali, and AMAC—have reportedly failed to pay a kobo.
“Council Chairmen remain unmoved and insensitive to workers’ welfare,” he added.
Unpaid Benefits Go Beyond Minimum Wage
In addition to the minimum wage delay, the protest highlighted a laundry list of unpaid benefits, including:
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₦30,000 wage award
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25–35% salary adjustments
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40% peculiar allowance
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35% CONHESS/CONMESS adjustments
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Pension deductions not remitted to PFAs
Workers say this neglect cuts across teachers, council staff, and retirees, with zero accountability or communication from council leadership.
“How can they withhold our pensions and still sleep well at night?” asked a protesting teacher in Bwari.
Double Standards: FCT vs Council Workers
The unions are especially angered by the disparity between council workers and staff under FCTA (Federal Capital Territory Administration) who are already benefitting from the new wage.
“We are public servants too. Why are we treated like second-class workers?” one NULGE member asked during the protest march.
External Resources
Wages Without Work or Work Without Wages?
The protest isn’t just about pay—it’s about dignity.
If funding has been approved and disbursed, why are workers still unpaid? If the councils won’t comply, who enforces accountability? And if teachers and LG workers—two of the most essential public service providers—are left neglected, what signal does that send to the next generation of workers, students, and citizens?
The wage debate has moved beyond policy—it’s now a crisis of trust.
For FCT workers, it’s no longer just a protest. It’s a cry for equal value, equal treatment, and equal pay.
