Popular social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), led a protest on Monday at the Abuja office of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in response to the ongoing 90-day primary school teachers’ strike. Clad in a school uniform, VDM was joined by dozens of schoolchildren at the entrance of the Minister’s residence. To underscore the impact of the strike, he set up an improvised open-air classroom and began teaching the children the alphabet. In a symbolic act, he chanted, “S for Suegbe, T for Tinubu, W for Wike,” as the children, also dressed in uniforms, echoed his words, attracting the attention of security officers and onlookers.
Refusing to speak to the press, VDM declared that the Minister’s gate had now become the new classroom for the displaced pupils. Addressing the demonstrators, Bitrus Garki, Mandate Secretary of the Area Councils Services Secretariat, acknowledged the protest and explained that the issue of the strike falls mainly under the jurisdiction of the Area Councils. However, he noted that the FCT administration has been making consistent efforts to resolve the crisis.
“This responsibility lies with the Area Councils, but the FCT administration has stepped in multiple times to help resolve it,” Garki stated. “We work collaboratively with local governments, even though they operate independently. These efforts include interventions in education, infrastructure, and other key areas.”
Garki assured the protesters that their message had been received and promised that the authorities would continue working on resolving the strike. However, he could not commit to a timeline for resolution.
“We cannot say precisely when this will end, because it involves multiple stakeholders,” he said. “But discussions are ongoing with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and even traditional rulers.”
He urged for patience and added that the Minister was doing all he could to compel the Area Council Chairmen to act swiftly in the interest of the children.
Background
The protest comes amid growing public outrage over a strike that has kept primary school pupils in the FCT out of classrooms since March 24, 2025. The industrial action was triggered by the failure of the six Area Council Chairmen to implement the new national minimum wage of ₦70,000 for primary school teachers. Despite multiple protests by the teachers, the NUT, and support from the NLC, the councils have refused to meet demands concerning salary arrears, allowances, and the wage increment.
Minister Wike has repeatedly voiced his displeasure over the councils’ failure to resolve the issue, but the impasse remains, disrupting basic education across the territory.
