Area Council Chairmen Lack Conscience -Wike

By: Wisdom Acka

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that the six Area Council Chairmen in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) lack human conscience.

The Minister made this declaration in Abuja, Thursday, while reacting to a question on what he was doing to resolve the lingering strike action embarked upon by council workers, including primary school teachers in the FCT.

Recall that the workers have downed tools over non-payment of minimum wage.

Abuja Digest reports that hundreds of striking workers staged a protest at the entrance to the FCT Minister’s office Thursday.

Wike described the non-payment of the new wage by the Chairmen as unfortunate and a lack of conscience of the plight of the workers, especially the teachers; lamenting that they did not even have the interest of the primary school pupils at heart.

He wondered why the Chairmen had refused to pay even after he had given approval for release of funds to enable them settle the workers.

The Minister said: “In fact, I got a report yesterday (Wednesday), and I am able to summon all of them. You see, that is the problem we have in this country. By the time you apply the big stick, people will be saying all kinds of things.”

“I don’t know why people don’t have conscience, that these are teachers who take care of our children, and you are happy that you are not paying them their salaries. These are primary school teachers, not secondary school teachers,” he said.

“We don’t have the responsibility of the Councils. They are in charge of the primary schools. So I have summoned them to a meeting. I will also continue to appeal to the community to give them some time, that this issue will be sorted out,” Wike added.

The Minister, however, called on Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to be more understanding; pledging that he would call the six Chairmen for a meeting to resolve the problem.

Meanwhile, Wike had inspected on-going projects, including the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX), Interchange at Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX), and the Life Camp Junction-N5-Ring Road 3 Expressway.

Expressing happiness with the quality of the roads, the Minister stated that the FCT Administration was also doing its part by making necessary payments on time.