Directors and principals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) education system have accused the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, of victimisation following their redeployment from their positions as directors and school administrators to junior secondary schools (JSS) to teach in classrooms.
The affected education officers raised concerns over what they described as illegal redeployment, denial of promotions and politically motivated actions affecting teachers and school administrators.
One of the affected directors, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity, said about 360 education officers were affected by the development, including principals, deputy principals, deputy directors and directors.
The director, who is due to attain the age of 60 in November, described the situation as particularly troubling because some affected officers had yet to begin the process of service elongation, while others had already commenced it.
According to the director, the authorities had indicated that officers due for retirement between October and December would not be included in the process.
The director questioned the basis for redeploying serving directors, arguing that the policy allowing teachers to retire at 65 years of age or after 40 years of service did not expressly provide for the demotion of officers seeking an extension of their service.
The source said the affected officers had received their redeployment letters but were seeking a review of the decision.
The director disclosed that the relevant union had written to the FCT Head of Service, requesting his intervention in the matter.
The source said the union’s demands included the reinstatement of all redeployed directors to their former positions and a review of the promotion process for teachers and school administrators.
The director also criticised the alleged shortage of vacancies for promotion, describing the situation as unprecedented in the history of the FCT education system.
The source cited the case of a staff member who reportedly scored nearly 85 per cent in a promotion examination but was denied promotion on the grounds that no vacancy was available.
“If somebody can score 85 per cent and is still not promoted, there is something wrong,” the director said.
The source added that promotion remained one of the major benefits available to teachers, arguing that qualified personnel should not be denied career advancement because of what the source described as an unexplained lack of vacancies.
In a letter obtained by SaharaReporters, dated September 7, 2026, with reference number FCT/EDU/PS/S.2307/1/11, the Permanent Secretary of the Education Secretariat, Joy Okeke, conveyed the FCT minister’s approval for the redeployment of the affected principal to teach History at the school.
The letter, titled “Letter of Redeployment,” directed the officer to report to the school principal for further instructions, with immediate effect.
It stated that the redeployment was intended to enable the school to benefit from the officer’s wealth of experience and professional expertise accumulated over the years.
The letter also directed the officer to hand over his responsibilities to the most senior officer on or before Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT State Secretariat, has condemned the minister’s action and urged teachers to disregard a directive by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), asking them to ignore the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)’s instruction to embark on an indefinite strike.
In a statement, the union urged teachers in primary and secondary schools across the territory to disregard the UBEB directive and fully comply with the strike, which commenced on October 7, 2026.
The union described the NLC’s strike directive as lawful and binding, arguing that workers were entitled to participate in industrial action after the necessary procedures had been followed.
Citing Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and Section 35 of the Trade Unions Act, the NUT maintained that workers’ rights to organise and participate in lawful union activities must be respected.
According to the union, the NLC had fulfilled the necessary requirements for the strike, including declaring a trade dispute, issuing an ultimatum and giving the required notice.
The NUT also argued that teachers should not be subjected to sanctions for complying with their union’s directives. It insisted that the relevant authorities should address the issues that prompted the industrial action rather than threaten workers.
The union listed its major demands as the removal of the vacancy clause affecting teachers’ promotions, the conclusion of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 promotion exercises, and the official reinstatement of directors who had been redeployed or demoted.
It maintained that intimidation and threats would not resolve the dispute, urging the authorities to engage with the unions to find a lasting solution.
Consequently, the NUT directed all teachers in FCT primary and secondary schools to disregard the UBEB warning and remain at home in full compliance with the indefinite strike until the NLC FCT Council issued further instructions.
The union called on teachers to remain united in pursuit of their demands, stressing that collective action was necessary to address what it described as an injustice against its members.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, recently directed workers in both the public and private sectors of the territory to commence an indefinite strike over unresolved labour issues affecting FCT teachers.
The directive followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT minister over demands relating to teachers’ promotions, career progression and the alleged illegal redeployment of some directors.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its State Executive Council (SEC) meeting held in Abuja on Monday, October 6, 2026, the council said the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) response to its demands was ambiguous and unacceptable.
The communiqué, signed by the Chairman of the NLC FCT Council, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, directed all workers in the territory to commence the industrial action on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
It also directed that all offices, schools, hospitals and other government establishments in the FCT remain closed until the council’s demands were met.
The NLC said it had issued the seven-day ultimatum on September 8, 2026, demanding the removal of the vacancy requirement for the promotion of FCT teachers.
The council also called for the reconsideration of teachers eligible for promotion in 2025 to enable them to take their promotion examinations before or alongside the 2026 candidates.
Other demands included the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors covered by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022; the dissolution of the management teams of the FCT Secondary Education Board (FCT SEB) and the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (FCT UBEB); and the immediate reinstatement of the affected directors.
According to the NLC, the FCTA’s response failed to address the fundamental issue of the vacancy clause, which it identified as the root cause of career stagnation among teachers.
It further accused the administration of remaining silent on the alleged illegal redeployment of directors, describing its response as ambiguous and dismissive.
The council lamented that FCT teachers had continued to experience career stagnation, demoralisation and humiliation despite their dedication to service.
After deliberations, the SEC said it could no longer tolerate what it described as the dehumanisation of teachers through policies it considered incompatible with the teaching profession.
The NLC consequently directed all its affiliate unions in the FCT to mobilise their members for full compliance with the strike and establish enforcement committees to ensure its effectiveness.
It also warned against the victimisation of any worker for participating in the industrial action.
Credit: SaharaReporters
