Acting Director General of FIIRO, Dr Chima Igwe.
By Barnabas Esiet.
The decision of the Federal government to reinstate the acting Director General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, FIIRO, Dr Chima Igwe, is going down well with the Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria.
In a statement, the group said the decision taken by the Honorable Minister of Science and technology, Dr Ogbonaya Onu, is a clear demonstration of government’s neutrality in the matter.
“This is a clear demonstration of the fact that government is not willing to allow itself or the institutions of government, to be used by certain politically exposed persons, to advance ethnic politics and disrupt the progressive determinations, of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.” The statement read.
“The group, has at several occasions, accused the workers unions and some members of the management team of FIIRO, of orchestrating a campaign of calumny against Dr.Igwe, who from all indications, had truly completed his PhD programme, but is rather being accused by unions, of not possessing one.”
Convener of the group, Emmanuel Ayodeji, described the recent purported demotion of the former acting Director General of FIIRO, Dr Igwe as a charade and gross abuse of power, by the Governing Board of the Institute, noting that it was an attempt by some desperate politicians led by the Chairman of the Governing board, to hijack the administration of the Institute, for selfish political gains.
FIIRO office in Oshodi
Ayodeji said the demotion of acting DG was illegal as the action was taken arbitrarily without any recourse to the Ministry of Science and technology, which should have been involved in such decisions.
The Civil Society Groups said the law is clear about the functions of the governing council, as, none empowers it to even oversee the daily running of the affairs of the Institute, as being witnessed under the current board..
The group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately dissolve the governing board of the Institute, accusing the current Chairman of colluding with some corrupt members of FIIRO management staff to sabotage the interest of the federal government.
“We wish to remind Nigerians that the war of attrition against Dr Chima Igwe is both fuel by some ethnic champions and corrupt individuals, who are opposed to his prudent administration of FIIRO, where he had unravel massive corruption. The statement read.
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