The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has launched a fierce attack on the Federal Capital Territory administration over the ongoing teachers’ strike, accusing FCT Minister Nyesom Wike of prioritising infrastructure projects over the welfare of education workers.
In a strongly worded statement on Thursday, the group’s national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko described the prolonged strike as a “man-made crisis,” blaming what it called the minister’s “anti-worker posture” for the failure to resolve salary disputes affecting public school teachers in the nation’s capital.
HURIWA said it is unacceptable that in Abuja, one of Africa’s most expensive cities — teachers remain unpaid and undercompensated, forcing them out of classrooms and disrupting the education of thousands of students.
Taking direct aim at the administration’s development priorities, the group argued that visible infrastructure projects cannot substitute for investment in human capital.
“You cannot build flyovers over a collapsing education system,” the statement declared, warning that the focus on roads and bridges while schools remain shut reflects “a dangerous disconnect from reality.”
The association accused the FCT leadership of pursuing what it termed “concrete politics,” where large-scale construction projects overshadow critical social responsibilities such as education and workers’ welfare.
HURIWA also highlighted what it described as a stark contradiction between the lifestyles of political leaders and the conditions faced by ordinary Nigerians.
It criticised public officials who send their children to elite schools abroad while failing to ensure functional public education at home.
“This is not just inequality — it is a moral failure,” the group said, calling the situation a betrayal of public trust.
In a bold policy proposal, HURIWA called for a nationwide overhaul of teachers’ remuneration, suggesting that educators should earn salaries comparable to medical doctors due to their foundational role in national development.
“Without teachers, there would be no professionals in any sector. Undermining them is undermining Nigeria’s future,” the statement added
The group demanded immediate payment of all outstanding salaries and allowances owed to FCT teachers, alongside urgent negotiations to end the strike and reopen schools.
It also called for broader reforms to guarantee workers’ welfare and ensure balanced investment between infrastructure and human development.
Warning of deeper consequences, HURIWA said continued neglect of the education sector could fuel unemployment, crime, and insecurity.
“An education system in crisis is a nation at risk,” it cautioned.
The group urged the FCT administration to act swiftly, warning that prolonged inaction could trigger public backlash.
“The time for excuses is over. Pay the teachers. Reopen the schools. Restore dignity,” it declared.
FCT Teachers’ Strike: HURIWA tackles Wike, warns of looming social crisis
