Omoyele Sowore, a controversial human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has strongly sent words of criticism to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for prioritizing expensive infrastructure projects while public schools and area councils in Abuja remain shut.
Sowore accused Wike of neglecting basic needs like education, alleging that billions of naira are being funneled into non-essential ventures while essential public services are ignored.
“While Tinubuโs 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,โ Sowore posted.
This criticism comes amid a prolonged shutdown of public schools in the FCT, caused by a strike led by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE). The strike, which has now lasted three months, stems from issues such as unpaid salaries, poor working conditions, and the governmentโs failure to fulfill previously agreed-upon commitments with educators and council workers.
Thousands of students across the six area councils of Abuja: Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji, and Kwali have been affected by the strike. The closure has disrupted academic schedules and left parents and communities increasingly frustrated over the government’s inaction.
The AACโs FCT chapter condemned the ongoing strike, calling it a result of heinous neglect by the Wike-led administration. AAC officials argue that the situation reflects a broader disregard for education and the welfare of those who serve in the sector, despite prior promises from the government to implement a โฆ70,000 minimum wage and clear backlogged allowances.
In a statement, AAC FCT Chairman, Agena Robert Ande, blamed the administration for a blatant failure to prioritize social welfare. He emphasized that the refusal to meet basic demands from educators not only betrays public trust but also undermines the future of children in the capital region.
While the FCT administration under Wike continues to push multi-billion-naira urban renewal projects such as the refurbishment of the International Conference Centre and major infrastructure upgrades, critics argue that these projects serve political and aesthetic purposes rather than meeting the pressing needs of residents, particularly in education and local governance.
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