Coalition of CSOs Appeal to FCT Minister, Others to Resolve 3 Months Strike by FCT Health and Education Workers
A coalition of Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) Under the aegis of FCT Civil Society Organizations Accountability Mechanism Network (FCT-CAM), has appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief (Barr.) Nyesom Wike, Chairmen of the six Area Councils of the FCT and other critical stakeholders to quickly find a lasting solution to the lingering 3 Months Strike by both Health and Education workers in the FCT.
The appeal letter dated June 26, 2025 and signed by
FCT-CAM and over 40 others and notable individuals, noted that the prolonged strike has resulted in significant and severe disruptions to essential health and education services, affecting the most vulnerable members of our society.
The subject of the letter is:
“A Cry for Our Children and the Sick – Urgent Appeal to End the Paralysis of Primary Education and Healthcare in the FCT”.
The group stated that “for over ninety(90) agonizing days, the very foundations of our communities—our primary schools and primary healthcare centres—have been shut down and closed, with no hope of reopening soon”.
The coalition posited that the escalating consequences of this three-month-long strike are dire, adding that “Our children, the supposed leaders of tomorrow, are left roaming the streets, their educational futures jeopardized and imperiled by locked classroom doors”.
“For three months, the strike has deprived and denied our children of their fundamental right to education in public schools, widening the gap in inequality and equity between those who can afford private education and those who cannot. This is an unacceptable mortgage on their future and a direct threat to the long-term prosperity of the FCT and Nigeria at large”, the group said.
According to the group, the most vulnerable in the FCT communities – children, pregnant women, the elderly, infants, the sick, and even the youths – are denied access to desperately needed care, stressing that preventable illnesses are going untreated, and the overall health of our communities is deteriorating.
They argued that the critical lack of access to primary healthcare services daily puts lives at risk, directly contradicting our collective commitment to equality and equity. The neglect of these basic health needs of the people constitutes a grave injustice.
“As civil society organizations and concerned stakeholders, we firmly believe that every life has intrinsic value and deserves access to quality healthcare and education. We call upon you, our elected and appointed leaders, to look transcend administrative and political wrangling and confront the devastating human cost of this impasse. True leadership is defined not by assigning blame, but by taking responsibility and seeking adaptive solutions”
They however appealed for
urgent intervention in the ongoing strike to open the schools and PHCs to our children and health care seeking clients across the six area councils
They called on the FCT Minister and his cabinet to quickly engage with representatives of health workers and teachers to address their grievances and find and implement sustainable solutions to prevent future disruptions.
The group also appealed to Chief Nyesom Wike, to deploy his full authority to address this crisis and facilitate an immediate and lasting resolution, as the people of the FCT are suffering, and they look to you for decisive action.
They also appealed to the six Area Council Chairmen to demonstrate leadership and good faith that prioritizes the welfare of FCT children, women, youths, and people as your utmost responsibility.
The called on the Chair and members of the Senate committee on FCT, House of Representatives Committee on FCT, and FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, along with the distinguished Senator Ireti Kingibe, Honourable Representatives, Ajiya Abdulrahaman and Joshua Chinedu Obika, to leverage their legislative powers, oversight, and representative functions to engage concerned parties to resolve this dispute without further delay.
“You are the direct voice of the people in the National Assembly; we urge you to amplify their suffering and champion their cause, and act now to secure our present for a better future”, they said.
“The time for excuses is over. The time for decisive action is now. Every additional day that our schools and clinics remain closed represents a gross failure of governance. We plead with you to consider the long-term implications of this strike on our society and take immediate steps to mitigate its overwhelming effects. We stand ready and willing to collaborate and support all genuine efforts to find an immediate and lasting solution”.
The coalition urged politicians and all critical stakeholders to act swiftly and decisively in the best interest of the people they swore an oath to serve.
