‘Unacceptable Neglect’: Akande Blasts Abuja’s Prolonged School Shutdown

Former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has urged Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and the six area council chairmen to take immediate action in resolving the ongoing strike by primary school teachers in Abuja. He said the continued closure of public schools is unacceptable and a disservice to thousands of children who have been left at home without access to education.

Speaking during the My Take segment on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande aired on Channels Television, he described the state of public education in the Federal Capital Territory as a grim reflection of the wider national decline. According to him, the crisis in Abuja’s primary schools highlights a growing pattern of systemic neglect, particularly in education and healthcare, with low-income families suffering the most.

Akande placed the blame squarely on state governors and local government council chairmen, arguing that while the federal government has made funds available, they have not been accessed or utilized effectively. “Quality education in many public schools is virtually absent, and it is the state governors and local government council chairmen we have to hold responsible for this—not the federal government,” he said.

He referenced reports indicating that almost N300 billion in Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds have been left unclaimed by state governments since 2020, despite pleas from Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for the funds to be accessed and used.

Akande condemned the ongoing strike by primary school teachers under the Local Education Authorities in Abuja, which began in April over unpaid salaries and entitlements. He expressed alarm that the strike has dragged on for over three months, keeping thousands of pupils out of school and halting education in the nation’s capital.

“Under the watch of Minister Nyesom Wike and local council chairmen in the six area councils, public primary school teachers have been on strike for three months,” he said. “Meanwhile, federal workers are benefiting from the new minimum wage announced by the president, but teachers in the FCT have been left behind.”

He described conditions in several public primary schools as deplorable, citing the example of the Local Education Authority Primary School in Sabon Geri where more than 500 pupils are crowded into crumbling classrooms with no furniture or basic infrastructure.

Akande also highlighted a report by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, which detailed how the strike has disrupted learning for thousands of children. He quoted a parent expressing frustration in Pidgin English: “For the past three months, our pikin dey for house. Make the minister help us. Make him beg the area council chairman to do something. This thing no good.”

He described the demands of the striking teachers as modest and legitimate. Supported by the What About Us movement and ActionAid Nigeria, the teachers are asking for four key actions: immediate implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, full enforcement of the December 11, 2014 tripartite agreement, payment of salary arrears from January 2025, and a clear plan to offset at least five months of outstanding salaries.

“These are modest and reasonable requests,” Akande said. “Every person of goodwill ought to support them.”

He concluded with a strong appeal to those in authority to recognize the human cost of the strike and act urgently. “This prolonged strike has paralyzed primary education in the FCT. Where is our compassion? Where is our conscience? Where is even a sense of duty?” he asked.