The Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) and Civil Society Coalition have written to the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu over actions by individuals and group targeted at understanding the performance of some Research Institutions in Nigeria.
A letter dated 22nd of May 2024 and sighted by Tribune condemned remarks made by a high government representative towards the Director General of Federal Institute of Industry Research (FIIRO).
The letter appealed for Presidential intervention over coordinated xenophobic comments, resulting in panic among non-indigenes serving at the Operational Headquarters of Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO) at Oshodi, Lagos.
“That xenophobic remark by the respected Honourable gives the wrong impression that it is only Yoruba people who are qualified to head Agencies of the Federal Government located in the South West.
“This is the first time in its over 60 years of existence that FIIRO has a Chief executive that is not of Yoruba extraction. The remark could have grave and adverse implications for both the unity and security of the nation” the letter reads.
The letter further stated that “as part of the coordinated campaign of calumny, a non-governmental organization, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), in a recent petition to Mr. President, also made disparaging remarks about the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO) and its Chief Executive.
“While the claim by HEDA that FIIRO is an “old dumping ground where nothing meaningful is happening, it is not only a deliberate misrepresentation of the true situation at this premier research institute today, but also a calculated attempt to deceive the Presidency. To our mind, freedom of expression should be exercised with utmost responsibility and integrity.
“ASURI, as a responsible trade union with jurisdictional scope within the Research and Development Institutes (RDIs) sector, and its collaborating Civil Society partners, deem it necessary to address these remarks and set the records straight.
“It is worthy of note that FIIRO has been recognized as the best among all Science-based research institutes and agencies in Nigeria, winning the first position at the annual Science, Technology, and Innovation EXPO for two consecutive years, that is, 2023 and 2024, which had never happened in FIIRO’s over 60 years of existence as a Research Institute.
“The EXPO, organized by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIST), was attended by all the Research and Development Institutes under the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) family, as well as many others, including the armed forces” the letter stated.
The Union explained further that the attacks on the Institute “are part of a ploy by a “powerful” Director in the Institute with kleptomaniacal tendencies to frustrate efforts by the Chief Executive to sanitize FIIRO and stop brazen theft and carting away of bulk government property with trucks during unofficial hours.
“The supervising ministry, FMIST – has waded into it by setting up a Committee which investigated the matter and found the Director culpable. This Director has been enlisting powerful individuals and misleading some NGOs who have been employing lobbies, threats, and blackmail to thwart all these efforts.
“With patriotic zeal and every sense of responsibility, therefore, pray that Mr. President considers in context the commendable strides made by FIIRO and its leadership in the last two years and disregard the meddlesomeness of HEDA, which does not reflect the reality of the Institute’s progress.
“We also call on Mr. President to caution Hon. government officials against making such inflammatory statements in the future. We also request that measures be taken to ensure that the decorum and respect due to fellow professionals and public servants are maintained at all times, especially in public forums,” the letter concluded.
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