Wike grants reprieve as 5,990 FCTA education officers sit for promotion exams
BY STEPHEN GBADAMOSI
No fewer than 5,990 education officers in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have commenced 2026 promotion examinations, following an intervention by the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, which enabled staff previously unable to participate in the 2025 exercise to sit for the test.
The examination, which began on October 5, entered its sixth day on Monday, with education officers and teachers from Grade Levels 13 to 17 participating.
A statement by Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, on Monday said the intervention also provided another opportunity for officers who missed the August 2025 promotion examination, following a disruption that prevented them from sitting for the test, to participate.
Recall that the 2025 promotion examination was conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission in July, 2025 for staff across all cadres in the FCTA, including the education cadre.
However, while other officers sat for the promotion examination in their respective cadres, the officials of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT Wing mobilised and physically chased out the education officers who were writing their examinations from the hall on the two days allotted for education cadre.
Consequent upon appeals by the affected officers and the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), FCT Chapter and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the FCT minister approved the rescheduling of the 2025 promotion examination for education officers.
“Speaking during an inspection of the examination venue, the head of the FCTA Civil Service, Nancy Sabanti Nathan, expressed satisfaction with the turnout and orderly conduct of the candidates.
“She said Wike had approved the participation of the affected officers, describing the decision as a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Olayinka said.
He also quoted Nathan as saying: “I am so happy that they came out in this number for their examination. The last time, some of them were swept into the protest and could not write.
“But the honourable minister, in the spirit of the Renewed Hope Agenda, renewed their hope by approving that they should come and write the exams.”
She urged the candidates to remain orderly and approach the examination with seriousness, noting that promotion remained an important pathway to career advancement in the public service.
