Dozens of Abuja teachers under the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) have protested prolonged delays in their career advancement and promotions at the Open University in Dutse-Alhaji, near Abuja’s Kubwa Motorway.
The aggrieved educators vented their annoyance at what they perceived as bureaucratic roadblocks that hindered their progress.
Holding up placards, the teachers gathered outside the school to demand the immediate conclusion of the 2024 promotion exercise.
The demonstrators strongly objected to the “vacancy rule,” arguing that civil service authorities are exploiting it to block their career advancement despite having passed the qualifying examinations and met all promotion criteria.
One of the placards read, “Complete the 2024 promotion exercise now,” while others carried messages such as “Teachers are not pool staff” and “Our services count, not empty chairs.”
Union officials maintain that these promotion delays have stagnated hundreds of qualified teachers in the same grade levels for years, severely dampening morale across public schools in the Federal Capital Territory.
Consequently, the FCT Wing of the NUT is demanding the immediate release of all outstanding 2024 promotion letters, their full financial implementation, and the prompt payment of all accrued backlog entitlements.
The aggrieved Abuja teachers also vowed to sustain the picketing and withdraw their services until the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the relevant civil service authorities address their demands.
Backstory…
PC- Sahara Reporters
This is however not the first time Abuja teachers or federal teachers are taking to the streets this year.
Public school teachers across the Federal Capital Territory in April announced the commencement of an indefinite strike, raising fresh concerns about disruptions to learning in Abuja. The industrial action, declared by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, affected thousands of pupils and students in public primary and secondary schools as classrooms are expected to remain shut until further notice.
Teachers are also demanding the removal of the “vacancy” requirement tied to promotions, which they say unfairly limits career advancement. In addition, they have called for a comprehensive review of recent promotion exercises conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission to ensure transparency and fairness for eligible educators.
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