The deadline, which was initially December 4, has been moved to the 9th of the same month.

Speaking about the new development, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okogie, in Abuja on Tuesday, said that the ultimatum had been shifted to enable the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) carry out the burial ceremony of Professor Festus Iyayi, a former leader of the union who died in the line of duty.

Okogie also said that all lecturers, who would resume duties and who were ready to work on the new date would be paid their full salary arrears.

He pointed out that the leadership of ASUU, at the end of its meeting with the president on November 4, had agreed to call off the strike after several resolutions were reached which did not include the new conditions recently released by the union.

The union said it did not add any new condition but only emphasised the non-victimisation clause, which states that no member of the union should be punished for being part of the ongoing strike.

It also reiterated that the government deposit the 200 billion Naira revitalisation fund for public universities as agreed with the Central Bank of Nigeria, before the strike would be called off.

It would be recalled that the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, on November 28, issued December 4 as the deadline for all lecturers to resume back in school or face the penalty of losing their jobs.