The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that the strike will continue until the Federal Government paid all the salaries of its members it withheld.
The ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, said this on Sunday in a telephone conversation with journalists in Lagos. He said government should not expect the lecturers to resume without paying the withheld salaries.
On November 27, there was a report that the union had agreed to end its strike following the Federa Government’s promise to release N70bn to the lecturers as earned allowance.
However, Ogunyemi on Sunday made it known that members were still consulting and at the same time, waiting for the government to fulfil its promise of releasing salaries of members that it withheld.
“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 timeline expired this week without the salaries being paid, final decision would be taken by the union.
The Union Chairman also said he could not determine when the strike would be ended.
He said, “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.”
