Sixteen years after the university had last experienced industrial action by any workers’ union, members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), University of Ilorin chapter have joined the ongoing national strike declared by the association.

The strike, which officially started on December 24, was in response to the sack of SSANU members who work with the universities’ staff primary schools nationwide. The sack, according to the national leadership of the association, was in response to the letters addressed to the vice-chancellors of the universities by the Incomes and Wages Commission directing them to remove personnel of the University Staff Primary Schools from the payroll.

According to the National President of the association, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, who ordered members across the 24 federal universities with staff primary schools to commence the strike, the trio of the University of Ilorin, Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto and the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, had sacked their members.

Investigations by New Telegraph revealed that the UNILORIN chapter of the association has since commenced the strike, claiming that 72 of its members have since been sacked. In an interview with a member of the union, who preferred anonymity, the association decided to break the tradition having realized that it had been caged all along.

The source explained; “The university takes pride in being regarded as an institution that does not embark on strike but the fact remains that when others go on strike to advocate for something, this university is also part of the beneficiaries.

So, this time, if 70 of our members are sacked and we refused to act, then we shouldn’t be regarded as university workers.” Meanwhile, when New Telegraph called on the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Kunle Akogun, he refused to comment on the matter, claiming he was on leave.