The Federal Government has released funds for payment of withheld salaries of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Federal Universities (NASU).

Mr Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) made this known in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.

According to Mokwa, the Federal Government also released funds for payment of benefits to retirees under the Nigerian Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector (NUPCPS).

He said that payments to NASU had commenced, adding that many members had confirmed receipt.

He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to efficiently cater for the well-being of Nigerian workers and retirees.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that NASU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) had commenced a nationwide strike on Monday.

The SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, said that the strike would continue for the next seven days unless the government addressed the grievances raised by the unions.

The unions had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum, urging the Federal Government to rectify the disparities in the payments among universities’ unions.