NASU, SSANU Officials In DSS Net Over Unions’ Strike

The Department of State Services (DSS) have invited Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), University of Ilorin branch, for interrogation over the ongoing industrial action embarked on by the unions.

An official who’s privy to the development said seven of unions top members were grilled by the secret police for almost two hours.

The joint action committee (JAC) of both unions had ordered its branches to embark on strike, effective February 5.

The unions cited of non-payment of minimum wage arrears/retirement benefits to Ex-members by government, non-constitution of visitation panels to universities, and poor funding for its decision.

Olumayowa Oyedepo, branch chairman of SSANU said members at the University of Ilorin had also joined in the action and on Monday, some of the officials were grilled by the DSS at the behest of the school authorities.

“We commenced our nationwide strike today and went round the offices to check if our members are at work; we met two people that are not our members locked inside the Network Operating Centre (NOC) and after those guys came out of the room we discovered that they are not our members, so we handed them over to the school security,” he said.

“The industrial action started on a good note with total compliance by members until the DSS came to invite our chairmen (SSANU and NASU) for questioning at their state office at the instance of the university management. The chairmen and other officials obliged the invitation, had discussion with the DSS operatives and had since returned back to their houses.”

The questioning, Oyedepo said, lasted for about two hours before they were released.

Some of the officials grilled by the secret police are M. J. Akanbi, branch secretary of SSANU; T. M. Saheed, branch Secretary of NASU; Flourish Josephine, Kwara State Council; Idris Alata, and Adejumo Olusola.

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