FCT Schools Closed For Three Months While Wike Funds Lavish Projects – Sowore
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for prioritising luxury infrastructure projects while public schools in Abuja remain shut.
Sowore’s outburst comes amid growing public anger over the prolonged closure of schools and area councils in the FCT, following a strike by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) over unpaid salaries and poor working conditions.
Posting on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Sowore said, “While Tinubu’s FCT Minister @GovWike is allocating and blowing billions of naira on non-essential projects like the Abuja Conference Centre, all public schools and area councils in the FCT have been shut for three months, leaving teachers unpaid and local government workers abandoned. This is not governance; it is a war on the poor and the future.” He included the hashtags #RiseUpFCT and #EducationIsPower.
Thousands of students have been affected by the shutdown, which has now entered its third month, disrupting academic activities in the six area councils—Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji, and Kwali.
The FCT chapter of the AAC described the situation as “heinous neglect” and accused the FCT Administration of reneging on agreements with the striking teachers.
These agreements include implementation of a ₦70,000 minimum wage and payment of outstanding allowances.
In a press statement released on Wednesday, AAC FCT Chairman, Agena Robert Ande, said the industrial action reflects the administration’s “callous indifference” to the plight of educators and the education sector.
The party criticised Wike’s spending priorities, accusing him of focusing on “grandiose and wasteful projects” at the expense of essential public services.
They cited the multi-billion-naira rehabilitation of the International Conference Centre and similar capital-intensive projects as examples of misdirected resources aimed at enriching political allies.
While Wike has continued to announce new urban development initiatives, critics argue that these projects, though potentially beautifying Abuja, fail to address the pressing needs of ordinary citizens, especially in the areas of education and local governance.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
