Strike persists until FG pays up withheld wages – ASUU - NenyKo

The Academic Workers Union of Universities declared on Sunday that it would not end its strike until the government paid all the salaries of its members.In a telephone interview with our correspondent in Lagos, the President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said that the government could not expect the lecturers to resume without paying withheld salaries.Recall that there were claims on November 27 that the union had decided to end its strike following a commitment by the Federal Government to release N70 billion to ASUU as an earned allowance.But on Sunday, Ogunyemi clarified that the members were still meeting and at the same time, waiting for the government to fulfill its pledge to release the withheld salaries of the members.

“We are still consulting; we have not finished consultation, by the end of this week we shall make our report public. There are promises government made with dates. Government promised to release salaries of our members. The withheld salaries have not been paid and we need to have information on that. Government should not expect us to resume without releasing our salaries.”

He stressed that once the deadline had ended this week without the wages being charged, the union would have made a final decision. Ogunyemi also said he could not decide when the ASUU would suspend the attack.

“I can’t vouch for anything about resumption, but my members will determine that. The only thing I know is that payment of withheld salaries can smoothen the process and that is what we have told the government. It will aid the final decision.

“The government gave a timeline and we are monitoring, once the timeline expires this week, our members will take a final decision. If they pay the withheld salaries, it will make the process easier to handle.”