VDM stages protest in Abuja over unpaid teachers salaries and implementation of N70k minimum wage (video)

Social critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), staged a protest on June 22 outside the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He demanded an end to the over 90-day strike by primary school teachers in Abuja.

VDM gathered school children dressed in their uniforms outside the FCT Ministry’s gate and conducted an open-air class, where he taught the pupils the alphabet in a satirical manner.

“S for Suegbe, T for Tinubu, W for Wike,” VDM chanted, as the children echoed his words.

Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been on strike since March 24, 2025, due to the failure of Area Council Chairmen to implement the new national minimum wage of ₦70,000. This extended industrial action has left pupils without classes in public schools for over three months, with no resolution in sight.

During a recent demonstration, Bitrus Garki, the Mandate Secretary of the Area Councils Services Secretariat, addressed the crowd. He explained that the core issue primarily concerns the FCT Area Councils, although the FCT Administration, led by Minister Nyesom Wike, has been actively involved in mediation efforts.

“The FCT administration has been intervening in Area Council matters,” Garki said. “This responsibility is largely the responsibility of the Area Councils. But because this is the state and we also have a relationship with the local government, that is why we come in to intervene in many cases, not just schools, including infrastructure, and many other things.”

VDM issued a seven-day ultimatum to the FCT Administration, warning that a larger protest involving more schoolchildren from across the Territory would follow if action was not taken.

“We have decided to give them a week. If they don’t do anything and the children are not back in school, we will invite students from the whole FCT to come.”

VDM also announced plans to protest next over the strike by primary healthcare workers, who, like the teachers, have been denied the new minimum wage.

“Today is for the students. We are going to do for primary healthcare. It’s just for Wike to be seeing. We are not fighting him. Let him just see so that he will remember, maybe he has forgotten. He’s stressed. He nearly fell from the plane. He’s preparing for the 2027 elections, but he has forgotten.” he said

Public primary schools in Abuja have been on strike.

VDM: pic.twitter.com/bE0caOBgNX

— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) June 23, 2025