Research institute staff embark on strike
Staff of the National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI), Badegi in Niger State yesterday embarked on an indefinite industrial action demanding the removal of the acting Executive Director of the institute for alleged financial mismanagement.
The strike by staff under the organized labour union of Academic Staff Union of Research Institute (ASURI), Senior Staff Association (SSA) and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) has paralyzed activities at the institute.
Speaking to journalists, Chairman of the Academic Staff of Research Institute, Wayagari Joseph Wayas, accused the acting Executive Director of misappropriating N110 million, being the institute’s allocation for the second and third quarter of the year. The unions also alleged that the acting Executive Director, Dr. Lawrence Ogunremi, diverted N8 million under the guise of contract for the purchase of furniture.
“The Ag Executive Director, Dr. I. T. Ogunremi and the Head of Finance and account, Mrs. I. F Arogundade were earlier petitioned on gross misappropriation and misuse of capital allocation. The Ag Executive Director, Dr. I. T. Ogunremi, also single handedly awarded contract for the furnishing of researchers’ offices to the tune of N8 million without the tenders board meeting. Of course investigation revealed that no such items were purchased and supplied at all,” Wayas stated.
The unions also accused Ogunremi of not promoting any staff of the institute in 2014, saying, “promotion interview of staff that is statutory, constitutional and legal was not done for the year 2014, even after knowing that national promotion has been cancelled.”
When contacted, Ogunremi said he did not divert the institute’s allocation. He said since September last year, the institute had not received any allocation. He added that since he assumed office in August last year, he has not awarded any contract.
He said: “I took over last year August and the institute is owing over N24million. Since September last year, the institute has not received any allocation. I have never awarded any contract, not to talk of diverting the money. If they have any evidence, let them forward it to the appropriate authority.”
On promotion, Ogunremi said whenever fund is available, he would organise a promotion exercise, adding that there must be cash backing for such exercise to take place.