FCT Teachers Protest Promotion Policy, Disrupt Exams for 13,000 Workers

Members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wing, on Monday disrupted the ongoing promotion examination for about 13,000 FCT workers in Abuja, protesting the use of vacancies as a requirement for teachers' promotion.

The protest took place at the National Open University headquarters, where teachers gathered to demand the removal of the vacancy-based promotion policy. The union argued that teachers should be promoted based on merit and successful performance in promotion examinations rather than the availability of vacant positions.

NUT FCT Chairman, Abdullahi Shafas, said the policy unfairly limits teachers' career advancement because teachers are not considered pool staff like other civil servants. He warned that the policy could discourage educators and negatively affect the education sector.

Shafas also noted that many teachers work under difficult conditions, including insecurity in rural communities, while receiving low salaries. He insisted that qualified teachers who pass promotion examinations should be promoted without delay.

The union's Secretary, Margaret Jethro, called for the establishment of a Teachers Service Commission in the FCT, arguing that teachers should not be subjected to the same promotion guidelines as other civil servants. She revealed that although 401 teachers passed the 2023 promotion examination, only 20 were promoted because of the vacancy requirement.

The union maintained that it would not allow the 2025 promotion examination for teachers to continue until all those who qualified in the 2023 and 2024 exercises are promoted.

Responding to the protest, Emeka Ezeh, Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, defended the policy, stating that promotions across the civil service must follow established guidelines. He explained that promotions without available vacancies would have financial and administrative implications, adding that the commission was simply implementing existing regulations.

The protest temporarily disrupted the scheduled promotion examination, with the union urging authorities to engage in dialogue to resolve the dispute and prevent further disruptions to education in the FCT.

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