Our attention has been drawn to the recent publication by the Punch newspaper dated 7th November 2023. We wish to state as an organisation and as a responsible citizen of Nigeria occupying the esteemed office if the chairman governing board of Nigeria’s foremost research institute, that the content of the publications are far from the facts of the issues; they are unfounded and tends to misguide the general public.

It should be noted that issues over the 2021 promotion exercise in FIIRO predated the inauguration of this current board of the institute headed by Alhaji Gambo Magaji CON niether has the Director General/CEO, Dr.(Mrs.) Jummai Tutuwa Adamu assumed office.

About the time of the exercise, the supervising ministry ( Federal Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation) acted on series of petitions raised against the Promotion Exercise, in which issues about irregularities in the Institute’s Nominal Role were raised.
Consequently the ministry directed that the exercise should be suspended, but the then management disregarded it.

Added to this is the fact that the tenure of the then Governing Board of FIIRO, led by Alhaji Gwazo, has expired by the time of the promotion exercise. The board merely acted on a forged letter of tenure extension and went ahead with the exercise against the supervising ministry’s directives for it’s suspension so as to allow for a staff audit aimed at determining the correct numerical strength and proper placement of members of staff.

The supervising ministry did not give it’s nod for the exercise neither did it have a representative in the promotion panel as stipulated by law. This is the first time that a promotion exercise will be conducted without the input and the presence of the supervising ministry, a precedence that must be discouraged.

Many qualified and eligible members of staff were denied inclusion in the pre promotion list without any cogent reason from the management for their exclusion.

At the inception of the current board headed by Alhaji Gambo Magaji (CON), all the union executives were invited to discuss on possible ways of resolving the problems met on ground and part of the decisions reached was that a personnel audit should precede the conclusion of the exercise with the view of resolving the anormallies so identified. A panel, made up of members of the board and representatives from the ministry was raised as approved by FIIRO’s supervising ministry, but the Unions locked up the gates of the institute and denied them access into the Institute’s premises, thereby frustrating the good intentions of the board. FIIRO’s then management did nothing to avert or resolve the unruly disposition of the unions.
On many occasions the current Board Chairman took it upon himself to dialogue with the union executives but to no avail.

Recently the board chairman extended the olive branch to the three unions by asking them to write an apology letter over their disregard for constituted authority, in which they locked up offices and denied members of staff the right to carryout their legitimate duties, but they disregarded it.

It should be noted that the issue of Dr. Chima Igwe has nothing to do with the promotion exercise, moreso it is before a court of competent jurisdiction and as law abiding citizens the status quo remains until the court states contrary.

Immediately a substantive Director General was appointed the Chairman gave her marching orders to resolve all age long problems of unpaid promotion areas, the 2021 promotion exercise, the conflicting figures over FIIRO’s numerical strength, undue maltreatment of some members of staff, the ethnic colouration given to issues that should be treated officially and many more.

The Director General, Dr.(Mrs.) Jummai Tutuwa Adamu, is currently making frantic effort to resolve the impasse. She met with all the stakeholders involved and hopes are high that very soon the issue will be resolved. As part of effort at resolving all issues relating to staff promotion, the board gave her every support needed to ensure that outstanding promotion areas are paid.

For the benefit of doubt it should be noted that the present governing board of FIIRO, as led by Alhaji Gambo Magaji CON, have made their marks in different fields of endeavour, and the chairman has proven records of integrity and discipline with a patriotic approach to issues of collective wellbeing, he will not condescend so low to deny members of staff whatever is due to them neither will he interfere in the activities of the union as erroneously stated. The collective good will of FIIRO is paramount and this noble course he will pursue alongside other members of the governing board.