President MUHAMMADU BUHARI has directed the Federal Ministry of Finance to release withheld salaries of resident doctors for the month of September and October 2021.

The Minister of Labour, CHRIS NGIGE, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting with President BUHARI.

He explained that the wages, which were seized on the basis of the no-work, no pay-rule following strikes embarked upon by the Joint Health Workers Union, have been approved by the President to be released to the health workers on compassionate grounds.

Responding to the grievances by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the minister asserted that since July 2021, a total of 52.1 billion naira revitalization fund has so far been released to workers in the university system in consonance with a Memorandum of Agreement signed in December 2020.

He insisted that the persisting dispute is due to the lack of knowledge by members of ASUU of the payments and a renegotiation of the 2009 agreement involving conditions of service.

The minister, therefore, maintained that the recommendations still lie at the level of the Ministry of Education after which the Federal Government will take appropriate action.

According to him, this does not amount to a refusal by the Federal Government to implement any agreement.

CHRIS NGIGE, therefore, appealed to ASUU to exercise patience with the government in order to reach a logical conclusion.