ASUSS Rejects NUT Strike, Directs FCT Teachers to Resume Work
The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter, has rejected the indefinite strike declared by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT Wing. The union has directed secondary school teachers and education officers to continue their normal duties.
ASUSS issued the directive after an emergency meeting of its State Executive Council. The meeting reviewed the NUT’s decision to withdraw teaching services across the FCT.
In a statement released on Wednesday, ASUSS described the strike as premature. It warned that the action could disrupt school activities and affect students’ academic progress.
The union urged its members to ignore the stay-at-home directive. It maintained that students should not suffer because of disagreements between education stakeholders and government authorities.
ASUSS addresses teachers’ promotion and vacancy concerns
ASUSS also responded to the issues raised by the NUT, including vacancies, promotion arrangements and the redeployment of directors in education agencies.
On vacancies, ASUSS said the requirements were linked to the Public Service Rules. According to the union, the rules guide establishment control and financial planning within the public service.
It added that proposed changes to career structures should be handled through dialogue and administrative engagement rather than industrial action.
Regarding promotions, ASUSS said the administrative arrangements had been resolved. It explained that the 2025 promotion exercise would run alongside the 2026 cycle under the FCT Civil Service Commission.
The union said the arrangement followed official circulars issued in September 2026.
ASUSS also defended the redeployment of directors in education agencies to classrooms. It argued that management had the statutory authority to make such decisions and that the redeployment was intended to improve administrative efficiency.
ASUSS warns against disruption of promotion examinations
The union further warned that the NUT strike could affect the scheduled 2025/2026 promotion examinations for FCT Education Officers.
Consequently, ASUSS directed all eligible officers to participate in the examinations according to the published timetable.
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It also instructed principals, vice-principals and education officers to keep secondary schools open. School authorities were told to ensure teachers report to their classrooms and maintain regular academic and administrative activities.
In addition, ASUSS asked school administrators to monitor attendance and provide a safe, conducive learning environment. It urged them to disregard directives from bodies it described as unauthorised where those instructions could disrupt the academic calendar.
Parents urged to send children to school
ASUSS appealed to parents and guardians to send their children to school, assuring them that academic activities should continue despite the dispute.
The union stressed that students should not bear the consequences of disagreements between unions and education authorities.
It also called on relevant stakeholders to pursue dialogue as a way of resolving the issues affecting the FCT education sector.
ASUSS maintained that constructive engagement remained important to resolving industrial disagreements while protecting the academic calendar and students’ interests.
The NUT’s strike decision and ASUSS’s opposing directive have created differing positions among the unions over how the dispute should be handled. The immediate impact on school attendance and academic activities will depend on how the situation develops across the territory.
