The Benin Nation Congress (BNC), an Edo-based social-cultural organisation, on Monday, called on security agencies to investigate attempts by some disgruntled individuals and rumour mongers whose stock in trade, the group noted, is to stoke crisis and unsettle the prevailing peace in the Nigeria Institute For Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) through fictitious media publications.
The group, while commending the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, over the peace in NIFOR, however, pointed fingers at some unnamed aggrieved and retrogressive staff whom it alleged were found guilty over illegal sales of oil palm seedlings and other saundry allegations of being behind the divisive publications against the Research Institute.
BNCm in a press release in Benin City, Edo State capital, signed by its Vice President, Pastor Amadin Owas, debunked the negative rumour and insisted that at no time did any elders forum called for any purported CEO selection result, adding that there was no crisis whatsoever in and around NIFOR.
Rather, Pastor Owas said the present administration in place at NIFOR has achieved some milestones in the areas of staff welfare, research, stable power supply, and water, among other laudable achievements.
The group also reminded people it called detractors that the pending issue over the leadership of the Institute was being resolved by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, adding that they were legal matters that resulted from the appointment and the unfortunate cancellation of the appointment of Dr Napoleon O. Aisueni as Director/Chief Executive Officer of NIFOR.
“NIFOR and her host communities are experiencing unprecedented peace and harmony than they have enjoyed in the last 84 years of hosting the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) due to the expertise of the current administration.
“Our investigation showed that the current administration has prioritized research and staff welfare since its inception. The current administration made transportation available to reduce staff transportation cost by more than 70%, provided palliatives to staff members of the NIFOR including Christmas welfare packages that listed rice, Palm oil and highly discounted beef and chicken to all staff including daily paid workers; the first they have ever experienced since the inception of the Institute.
“These are a small fraction of the achievements within one year of the new administration. A peep at the details of their year 2025 budget will provide you an insight into the efforts at rediscovering the glory days of NIFOR.
“BNC findings however showed that the ominous publication was allegedly sponsored by a cohort of aggrieved/retrogressive staff of NIFOR led by a management staff that was found guilty of illegal sales of oil Palm seedlings including sales of experimental oil palm seedlings of his junior colleagues.
“The current administration found out through a panel that he had engaged himself in these fraudulent practices over the years. The publication was therefore done to draw negative attention to the Institute.
“The Benin National Congress (BNC) respectfully call on the Nigeria’s Security and Intelligence community to investigate and arrest the authors of the publication on social media, reason being that, it is a direct attempt at destabilizing the state through misinformation and calculated act of spreading fake news to the Nigerian Society,” the group stated.
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