Hundreds of public school teachers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wing, on Monday staged a mass protest in Abuja, condemning years of career stagnation and demanding the immediate completion of the long-delayed 2024 promotion exercise.
The aggrieved teachers converged on the premises of the Open University, Dutse-Alhaji, along the Kubwa Expressway, accusing the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the FCT Civil Service Commission of subjecting them to prolonged bureaucratic delays that have left many stranded on the same grade levels despite meeting all promotion requirements.
Wielding placards with inscriptions such as “Complete the 2024 Promotion Exercise Now,” “Teachers Are Not Pool Staff,” and “Our Services Count, Not Empty Chairs,” the protesters demanded an immediate end to what they described as years of injustice against teachers in the nation’s capital.
The demonstrators also rejected the controversial “vacancy rule,” which they alleged has been used by civil service authorities to deny qualified teachers career advancement even after passing mandatory promotion examinations and fulfilling every statutory condition for elevation.
Union leaders said hundreds of teachers have remained on the same grade levels for years due to repeated delays in the promotion process, warning that the situation has crippled staff morale, eroded productivity and negatively affected the quality of education in public schools across the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the union, many teachers who have dedicated decades of service to the education sector continue to suffer financial losses and professional stagnation because successive promotion exercises have either been delayed or left unimplemented.
The NUT FCT Wing is demanding the immediate release of all outstanding 2024 promotion letters, full implementation of the promotions with all attendant financial benefits, and payment of every outstanding entitlement owed to affected teachers.
The union warned that the continued refusal of the authorities to address the lingering promotion crisis could further disrupt academic activities in public schools, insisting that teachers would sustain the picketing and withdraw their services until the FCTA and the relevant civil service authorities meet their demands.
The protest adds to mounting labour unrest in the Federal Capital Territory, where public sector workers have repeatedly accused government agencies of delaying promotions, withholding entitlements and implementing policies they say undermine workers’ welfare and career advancement. According to Sahara Reporters, the teachers insist they will not back down until justice is done and their long-overdue promotions are fully implemented.