The Federal Government has commenced the payment of minimum wage arrears, which it owed lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and Academic Staff Union of Universities as part of efforts to end ongoing strikes by the unions, reports by Punch Newspaper revealed.

The National President of ASUP, Dr. Anderson Ezeibe, and the Chairman, ASUU FUTMinna, Dr. Gbolahan Bolarin, confirmed this in separate interviews with news correspondents in Abuja on Thursday.

The two unions are currently on strike following the inability of the government to meet their demands including the payment of minimum wage arrears and release of revitalization funds, among others.

While ASUU commenced its strike on February 14, 2022, ASUP is currently on an initial two-week warning strike.

Confirming the payment on Thursday, Ezeibe, however, said that was 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.”

Also, Bolarin, said, “Some of my members got alert of their minimum wage arrears; their salaries are still pending.”

Meanwhile, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology’s management has announced that the school would resume academic activities on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

A circular which was signed by the Registrar of the school, Kayode Ogunleye, partly read, “Upon the directive of the visitor to the university, the management hereby informs all staff and students that the university will continue its academic activities for the first semester of the 2021/2022 academic session on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

“The amended academic calendar for the session will soon be made available. Staff and students are hereby enjoined to abide by this directive.”