FCT news

Take Sanitation serious FCT Minister Tasks School Heads

Published

5 years ago

February 23, 2020

Joel Ajayi

The Honourable Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has charged principals and head teachers in the FCT to maintain clean school environment at all times and to be proactive in the management of their schools.

The Minister made this charge over the weekend during an unscheduled visit to some schools in the FCT. The Minister, in company of the Chairmen of the FCT Secondary Education Board Alhaji Musa Yahaya and other officials of the Board expressed dissatisfaction on the sanitary conditions of one of the schools visited.

Minister who expressed his dissatisfaction at the state of affairs in the schools wondered why the school environment was not kept clean and said that environmental sanitation in a school premises should be a daily affair. He also charged the school heads to be proactive in the management of their schools saying that minor repairs within the schools could be carried out by the school heads without necessarily resorting to the Boards for approvals.

Malam Bello also directed that proper toilet hygiene should be maintained saying that open defection will not be tolerated anywhere in the FCT.

The Minister also advised school heads in the FCT to take advantage of the seasons when teaching subjects like agriculture. He said that teachers can use the season to teach dry season farming instead of allowing school farms to be overtaken by weed with the excuse that there are no rains.

He also directed that open spaces immediately bordering the perimeter fences of all schools in the FCT should be devoid of any kind of trading or business activity for the safety of the pupils and students, adding that school heads should ensure the removal of illegal structures and sanitation of such areas.

While commending the principal of junior Secondary School Dutse Sagbayi, Dr Funsho Oba for maintaining the cleanliness of the land bordering his school, Malam Bello advised that school heads should be innovative and creative in ensuring that students participate actively in keeping their schools clean.

“ For instance, you can organize a competition amongst them and say the Minister will come at the end of the term and give a prize. That way, they will be motivated” the Minister said.”

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FCT news

FCT Cleaners Urge Minister Wike to Intervene Over Months of Unpaid Salaries

Published

3 weeks ago

May 13, 2025

The Gleamer

Over 4,500 cleaners working across Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including city cleaners, hospital sanitation workers, satellite town cleaners, and security personnel, have made a passionate appeal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over the non-payment of their salaries for the past six to eight months.

The affected workers, who play a critical role in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene across the FCT, including hospitals and public spaces, expressed their deep frustration and hardship due to the prolonged delay in their payments.

Despite working tirelessly under harsh weather conditions to ensure that Abuja and its environs remain clean and habitable, they say their efforts have gone unrewarded.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja, the cleaners voiced their disappointment, describing the situation as dire and unsustainable.

Many of them are reportedly struggling to meet basic needs, including food, medical expenses, school fees, and loan repayments.

“We are using this medium to appeal to our amiable FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to urgently intervene and ensure our outstanding salaries are paid.

“We are going through untold hardship. We work day and night, even in dangerous and unhygienic conditions, yet we are not being paid.”

Another affected worker, who asked to remain anonymous, tearfully shared her experience: “We may be doing a ‘dirty job,’ but we do it with all our hearts. It is unfair that we are left unpaid. We are dying in silence—no food for our children, no money for healthcare. We beg the Honourable Minister to come to our aid.”

The cleaners, in their numbers, emphasized that their appeal was not just a demand but a desperate cry for help from workers who feel neglected despite their vital contributions to the FCT’s public health and cleanliness.

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