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Research Scientists protest against HoS for non-release of Conditions of service in past 15 years
The Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) on Friday massively protested against the Head of Service (HoS) Mrs Folashade Edun for the non-release of Conditions of Service and Scheme of Service for the past 15 years.
Leading the protest to the Office of the Head of Service in Abuja, the National Secretary General of the Union, Dr. Theophilus Ndubuaku, the National Treasurer and National Auditor with other principal officers of the Union lamented the power play that the HoS got herself involved at the expense of the much needed researches in Nigeria.
Speaking with journalists who monitored the protest in Abuja, the researchers accused the Head of Service of frustrating their activities, saying that the likes of the Head of Service were responsible for underdevelopment of the country.
His words: “The protest.is like coming to the Court of Public opinion. We are protesting in front of the Head of Service and am sure the Head of Service and the functionaries of government are all seeing us. As you can see the banner, he had negotiations that has last d for 15 years and what are we negotiating, the conditions of service and scheme of Service for research institutions in Nigeria.
“Now, it sounds so unbelievable that a country of over 200 million people that is hungry for development; that the research Scientists in the research sector doesn’t have any reliable conditions of service. So the government took us to 15 years of negotiations, something that shouldn’t take us for 6 months.
“After 15 years, we all arrived at what should be the condition of Service for Research Institutions and that is left for the Head of Service to release and the Head of Service released it to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Ministry of Labour circulated it.
“As I speak with you now, the Presidency is operating that scheme of Service; the Ministry of Science and Technology that has more Research Institutions than any other Ministry is operating the condition of Service, but the Ministry of Agriculture said they will not accept that condition of Service which they coordinated the negotiations over 15 years. That they will not accept it of the Head of Service doesn’t send it directly to them and not through the Ministry of Labour.
“Don’t forget that it is the Ministry of Labour that bring Unions and government together to resolve labour issues. They were the one that initiated the negotiation and handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture to coordinate. They now surprisingly said, they will not accept it except, it comes directly from the Head of Service.
“So, the Ministry of Labour called a meeting about one ago which was attended by the presidency, the Labour, CSOs and others and it was agreed that the Head of Service should send the new scheme of Service directly to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
“But the Head of Service hasn’t done that for over one year and that’s not all, when the Head of Service released the condition of Service, they also supposed to release the scheme of Service, so the research Institutions in the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and a host of others have been waiting for the Head of Service to release the Scheme of Service which has been completed with the Conditions of Service.
“So we all have a situation where we are operating a condition of Service without the accompanying scheme of Service and we don’t just understand. We have written to the Head of Service for an audience and they didn’t acknowledge or reply to the letter.”
ASURI insisted that there was power play over the conditions and scheme of Service which Mrs Folashade Edun was deeply involved in, a development, they said, has hampered the development of the nation.
“We don’t understand the kind of power play that is going on in this country. How can presidency be implementing a document and a Ministry will not and this a country of over 200 million people that is in a state of distress.
“Now everybody knows that this country has failed. Some people said, it has failed; some people said, it is failing. Whatever it is, if you look at the statistics, this country is designated as poverty capital of the world. Every indices of development are at the lowest level. If you look at unemployment in some States, it is as high 80% of their population.
“Now, we have insecurity that has defied all solutions by security agencies. Why do we have insecurity? It is because of unemployment; it’s because of poverty and anger and underdevelopment.
“There is only one way we can address the underdeveloped; there is only one way we address the issue of poverty in Nigeria. Which way? The way other countries have followed and that is research.
“Everybody knows that everything you see around you are products of research and no country develop without research, and that research is key to development.
“Now why the country that needs research most don’t seem to care about it, yet, we have highly educated people who are at the helm of affairs at every sector in this country and they know very well that research has been neglected by successive governments.”
Reacting, Alhaji Ahmed Abdullahi, a deputy Director in charge of Communications in the Office of the Head of Service who came out to address the protesters, after listened to their complaints promised to study their grievances.
He said, he needed evidences of letters written to the Office of the HoS, to be able to react, hence, he hasn’t much to tell journalists.
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it has been vindicated by recent revelations from the state’s former Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke.
The Rivers APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, stated this in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists on Wednesday.
The former Head of Service, who recently resigned had alleged that the suspended Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was directly responsible for the political crisis in the state and the bombing of the State House of Assembly.
In response, the Rivers State APC asserted that Nwaeke’s testimony aligns with the party’s long-held position, as frequently stated by Chief Okocha, that the suspended governor was the architect of the state’s political crisis, including masterminding the October 29, 2023, bombing of the State House of Assembly.
Chief Okocha further emphasized that Nwaeke’s account, given his high-ranking position in the state, cannot be dismissed as mere speculation.
He said attempts to discredit the former Head of Service will not deter him from exposing the alleged corruption and misconduct that the APC has repeatedly highlighted.
“What is most interesting to the APC in Rivers State as a responsible political party is that Dr. George Nwaeke’s revelations and testimonies of how suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his squad bombed the Rivers State House of Assembly is an eye witness account.
“Again , it has clearly vindicated the APC in Rivers State as the only visible and viable opposition political party in the State, and has cemented the love for the party in the heart of well meaning Rivers people as the voice of the voiceless, and the hope for a better Rivers State.
“The revelations made by the former Head of Service in Rivers State has further positioned her as a political party with high level of integrity, and the hope of Rivers people for a viable alternative to produce the Governor of Rivers State in 2027.
“The verbal attacks staged against the resigned Head of Service will not deter him from exposing the corruption within Sim Fubara’s administration, which we have consistently highlighted as the opposition party. On this matter, the APC shall function as watchdogs”, the party stated.
Chief Tony Okocha expressed confidence that security agencies would thoroughly investigate the matter.
“The APC in Rivers State strongly believes that the relevant security agencies will be professional enough to get to the root of the matter and make their findings public”, he said.
A coalition of civil rights organizations, the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA), has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the allegations leveled against suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, by Dr. George Nwaeke, the former Head of Service of the state.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, Director General of the CCLCA, urged the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take swift action in probing the allegations. He emphasized that if proven true, these claims pose serious risks to governance and democracy.
The coalition, comprising 30 civil society organizations, stands in solidarity with Dr. Nwaeke, who has expressed willingness to provide evidence of alleged corruption and constitutional breaches involving Governor Fubara and his Chief of Staff, Mr. Edison.
“We collectively urge the relevant authorities to act swiftly and transparently. Addressing these allegations is critical to restoring public confidence in governance at both the state and national levels,” Dr. Nwambu stated.
He commended President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for his intervention in Rivers State, which led to the declaration of a state of emergency, a move he described as crucial for stabilizing the region.
Dr. Nwaeke’s accusations against Governor Fubara include:
Arson and Sabotage: Allegedly instructing his Chief of Staff to burn down the Rivers State House of Assembly to prevent impeachment proceedings, a violation of Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.
Corruption and Financial Misconduct: Claims of large sums of money being used for personal and illegal activities, contravening Section 15(5) of the Constitution.
Threats to Public Safety: Alleged plans to sabotage state infrastructure, potentially inciting public disorder, which falls under Section 1 of the Terrorism Prevention Act (2011).
Collusion with Militant Groups: Alleged meetings between the governor, his Chief of Staff, and militant leaders, posing a threat to national security and violating Section 43 of the Constitution.
Suppression of Labour Rights: Alleged attempts to bribe labour leaders to silence dissent, contravening Section 40 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly.
The coalition has urged law enforcement agencies to ensure a thorough, transparent, and expedited investigation into these allegations.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has appointed Sam Ifeanyi Hart, Esq. as his new Chief of Staff (CoS).
Hart replaces Hon. Toby Okechukwu who was recently appointed Executive Director, Projects of the newly established South East Development Commission (SEDC).
Prior to his appointment, Hart served as Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker on Public Affairs and has an extensive background in training and consultancy.
Hart also previously served as Director-General, Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency from 2019 to 2023 after occupying other appointive positions.
He was also a member of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru where he attended the Senior Executive Course 45, serving as Course Secretary-General.
He has also served on the Boards of several corporate and non-governmental entities.
Hart brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role, with a distinguished career spanning law, leadership, and public service.
A lifelong learner, he holds multiple academic qualifications, including a Master’s Degree in Environmental Law (LLM) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) from Abia State University.
The new Chief of Staff is also currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Law.
A seasoned professional, Hart has attended prestigious institutions, including the GOTNI Leadership Centre, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), and the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG).
He is also a member of several professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria (M.IoD), Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (ACIArb), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
As Chief of Staff, Hart will provide strategic guidance and support to the Deputy Speaker legislative activities, leveraging his expertise to drive policy initiatives and promote good governance.
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