ASUU and ASUP strikes will soon be over as FG begins paying lecturer arrears— union leaders reveals

The Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) are currently on strike and may call it off soon.

According to Punch, the Federal Government has begun paying minimum salary arrears owed to academics under the auspices of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and the Academic Staff Union of Universities as part of efforts to resolve the unions’ ongoing strikes.

Union leaders verified this in a separate conversation with journalists on Thursday in Abuja.Remember that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, or ASUU, has gone on warning strikes in the past to protest.The varsity union prolonged the lingering strike for another 12 weeks on May 9, 2022.

In a statement, ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke said the extension was necessary to give the federal government ample time to resolve all remaining issues.

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) then issued a two-week warning strike on May 11.

The federal government, according to ASUP, has refused to meet its demand.

The non-release of the agreed N15 billion revitalization fund for the sector, which was approved by the President 11 months ago, is one of the demands.Ezeibe, however, said that the arrear payment is just the beginning.

He said, “The government has started responding. They just started paying the salary/minimum wage arrears, the one they have refused to pay.

“However, that is just one of the demands, so we have not reached anywhere. They have not attended to the others, but I can confirm that people have started receiving alerts of the arrears owed.”