Abia teachers issue seven-day ultimatum over unpaid salaries, welfare gaps, threatens strike
Teachers in Abia State have threatened to begin an indefinite strike if the state government fails to meet their welfare demands within seven days.
The warning was issued by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Abia, in a notice of ultimatum dated January 5, 2026, signed by the union’s state chairman, Kingsley Mmadu, and secretary, Nnenna Okonkwo.
The ultimatum, which expires at midnight on Monday, January 12, 2026, follows what the union described as government inaction on issues earlier raised in a communiqué dated December 19, 2025.
The NUT said the prevailing industrial harmony in Abia State was being threatened by the failure of relevant officials to address teachers’ grievances.
The ultimatum read, “Key among our demands are the resolution of irregularities in the 65/40 years’ service elongation policy, including illegal disengagement of teachers, removal from payroll, and demotion of head teachers.
“We demand the payment of outstanding salary arrears owed to primary and junior secondary school teachers, immediate release of the 2020/2021 promotion results, and the reinstatement of the 27.5 percent Teachers’ Special Salary Structure for primary school teachers.
“We also demand salary harmonisation among teachers on the same grade level, implementation of consequential minimum wage adjustments for secondary school teachers, release of approved running costs for head teachers, payment of outstanding leave allowances, and correction of the alleged wrongful remittance of NUT dues to NASU.”
The union also called for the cancellation of the proposed Computer-Based Test format for promotion interviews.
It warned that failure to meet the demands at the expiration of the ultimatum would leave it with no option but to direct its members to commence an indefinite strike, a step it said it had consistently tried to avoid.
