Lecturers at the Dr John Garang Memorial University have decided to give exams to students and continue with their open pay strike later.

Last month, more than 50 lecturers from the university declared an open strike demanding three months of unpaid salaries, the medical coverage and airline ticket allowances.

They went on strike with their colleagues from the other four public universities.

The chairperson of academic staffs association at the university in Bor, Deng Mach Awan, says strike started just before the exams started and was expected to last for a short period.

He says students, who come from different regions of the country, are suffering like the lecturers and should not be victims of the strike.

“Let this examination finish and when these students go, we shall close down all public universities such that the minister [of Education] appoints those who don’t go hungry,” Mr Mach told Eye Radio.

Early this week, the Minister of Higher Education, Dr Peter Adwok Nyaba, said he was working on a memo to present to the Council of Ministers about the complaints of the lecturers.

Dr Adwok also said the academic staff in all the public universities should also understand the economic crisis in the country.