NIGERIA- Federal Government has extended the deadline issued to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off their five months old strike from December 4 to December 9.

The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie, disclosed that the extension was in honour of Professor Festus Iyayi, a prominent member of ASUU who lost his life on his way to ASUU meeting few weeks ago.

The funeral rites for Iyayi will start on December 5 and end two days after.

Speaking to journalists yesterday, Prof. Okojie said the extension is to avoid dealing with ASUU on ultimatum during funeral period.

 “Government decided to shift the deadline after it received notification of Prof. Festus Iyayi’s funeral rites slated for between December 5 and 7.

 “We just received information that the burial rites of Festus Iyayi begins on the December5 and would last till Dec. 7.

“Based on this information, government decided to shift the resumption deadline to December 9, to enable lecturers to participate in the burial,” the professor said.

The executive secretary said the directive had been communicated to the various university Governing Councils and Vice Chancellors for onward transmission to the academic staff.