NITR workers reject reinstatement of suspended overseeing DG

The Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR) workers union, comprising of the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), have expressed their opposition to the reinstatement of Dr. Felicia Enwezor, the suspended Overseeing Director General.

Comrade Moyijo Hussaini, Chairman of the Joint union, conveyed the workers grievances in a statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday.

The letter, signed by 24 executive members of the union branches after an emergency meeting, called on Mr. James Sule, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (FMSTI), to ensure transparency, integrity, and adherence to Presidential directives.

The statement noted that, “These directives were communicated in a letter dated September 1, 2021, with reference number SH/COS/16/A/1487, addressed to the former Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

According to the workers, “The letter instructed the Inspector General of Police to investigate the involvement of the Police in the day-to-day affairs of the Institute and take appropriate action against those responsible for harassing the staff.

The Joint Union unequivocally stated that Dr. Felicia Enwezor was suspended and relieved of her duty as Overseeing Director General by the Lambu-led legal Council of NITR at their 107th meeting held in Kaduna.

The suspension, it was alleged, was a result of serious misconduct, as mentioned in a letter, S/TR/49/Vol xi/xxx, sent to the Honourable Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation on July 20, 2022.

They also alleged that the former Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation (FMST&I) used the Police against the instructions of the President to harass and intimidate the Institute’s management and Union Executives in an attempt to reinstate the suspended Overseeing Director General.

Furthermore, they criticized the recent establishment of an implementation committee by the FMST&I, headed by Mr. James Sule, the Permanent Secretary. This committee, led by Mrs. Abosede Jumoke Aileru, the Director of Human Resource Management, was tasked with implementing a report from the Force Criminal Investigative Department (FCID) of the Nigerian Police Force.

The union argued that the charges mentioned in the report were baseless and lacked merit since the suspended Overseeing Director General, Dr. Enwezor was not forcefully evicted or ejected from her position, as claimed by the Ministry.

According to the union, the former Overseeing Director General was suspended by the governing Council due to various reasons.

These reasons include failure to comply with court orders (Suit No: NICN/ABJ/297/2021 delivered on May 18, 2022), disregarding instructions to convene board meetings, abandoning official duties without delegation, and failing to carry out Council decisions regarding the appointment of a substantive Director General.

The union also accused the former Director General of engaging in harassment and unruly behavior towards Union officials who were acting by Council instructions.

They demanded that the appointment of the current Overseeing Director General, Dr. Joseph Joachim Ajakaiye, be validated. Additionally, they requested the release of the Director-Generalship interview conducted by the Council through due process for the appointment of a substantive Director General of NITR, Kaduna.