By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has dismissed allegations of harassment of teachers, saying its ongoing education reforms are based on civil service regulations and statutory requirements.
The clarification followed an opinion article by U. Ndagi titled “Letters: Wike, stop harassing FCT teachers,” published on September 19, 2026.
A senior FCTA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said recent staff redeployments, promotion decisions and leadership changes were administrative measures and not targeted at teachers.
The official cited an implementation circular from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), which provides for the deployment of senior education administrators to classroom teaching or quality assurance roles.
He also referenced the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act 2022, which extended teachers’ service to 40 years or age 65, saying the policy was intended to retain experienced educators in the classroom.
On promotions, the official said advancement in the public service must be tied to approved cadres, establishment vacancies and available budgetary provisions.
“Matching promotions to existing vacancies prevents establishment distortion and maintains institutional order,” he said.
The FCTA official also said ongoing rehabilitation of schools across the six area councils was aimed at addressing infrastructure deficiencies, while improved examination performance would require better curriculum delivery, discipline and facilities.
The administration’s position comes amid growing disagreement with teachers’ unions over promotion criteria and the redeployment of senior education officials.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) FCT Council, has threatened an indefinite strike if its demands are not met.
The unions said they are demanding, among other things, the removal of the vacancy requirement for promotions, reinstatement of teachers affected by the 2025 promotion exercise and a halt to the redeployment of senior officials to classrooms.
NLC FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Knabayi Adalo, warned that failure to meet the demands within the stipulated period could trigger an indefinite strike across the FCT.
However, the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), FCT Chapter, has distanced itself from the strike threat, maintaining that the FCTA has the statutory authority to deploy personnel and that promotions should be linked to available vacancies and fiscal capacity.
With the dispute unresolved, schools, parents and teachers across the FCT are awaiting further action from the administration.
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