Workers of the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) Ile-Ife, Osun State have staged a peaceful protest alleged plan of the minister of state for science, technology and innovation, Chief Henry Ikoh to “illegally” appoint the director- general/chief executive officer of the institution.
The placard-carrying workers with inscription such as, “Say no to ‘arrangee’ DG/CEO”, “illegitimate exercise will not stand”, “President Buhari, Save NACETEM from Illegality”, “Allow Governing Board do the right thing”, ” It is the duty of the Board to appoint DG/CEO” among others trooped out in their numbers.
The spokesperson of the Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institution, NACETEM branch, Comrade Olumide Fadakinte, urged the president to check Ikoh’s alleged move to avert a disaster in the institution and warned him not to dissolve the existing board put in place by the federal government.
Fadakinte said Ikoh’s agenda has been fuelling problems in the agency with a view to impose his person as the director-general and chief executive officer which he emphasised contradicted the practice in the Institution.
In his reaction to the protest, the chairman of the board, Sir Haastrup Adewale Olatunji commended the union for being peaceful in their demands, saying, “The board commended you for your interest in the development of the institution”.
He said members of the board would not be part of illegalities in the process of appointing the leadership of the institution.
The chairman stressed that the board would follow the rules as it is laid down in appointing the leadership, urging the union to exercise restraint as the board would work for the best in order to restore sanity back in the system.
