The seeming controversy over the eleventh hour appointment of the Director-General, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Dr Zaccharia Yaduma, by the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari took a new turn on Wednesday, as a civil society organisation identified as The Concern Group said his appointment negated the 2018 Act of the institute.
The CSO contended that the FRIN Act, 2018, was completely jettisoned by the past administration to effect the appointment due alleged personal relationship with one of the top echelon of Buhari’s government.
In a press statement endorsed by the President and Secretary of The Concern Group, Comrades Kelvin Onaolapo, Wasiu Olatiregun, respectively, they urged President Bola Tinubu to reverse Yaduma’s appointment in the interest of good governance, due process and justice.
The statement read: “We wish to draw the attention of President Bola Tinubu to the illegality perpetrated in the selection of FRIN’s DG, contrary to the Law of Nigeria (FRIN Act 2018).
“The appointment of Yaduma was based on personal relationship with a former top government functionary of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. This is only credential, which has reflected in his dismal output since assumption of office.
“FRIN’s Act 2018 stipulates that an intending DG must be a research professor within the institute, and not even a professor at the university. He must have applied for the post. The present DG failed to satisfy all the three conditions.
“We, however, wish to restate that the institute is presently blessed with six research professors, with the required eligibility and capacity. It is an aberration and absurdity to disregard the governing law and willingly to destroy an existing organogram of FRIN. The leadership of any research institute is built on competence and not just jobs for the boys.”
While lauding Tinubu for his efforts to rejuvenate the nation’s economy through his policies and promoting democratic ethos in the African sub-region, the group tasked ministers and state governors to key into the Federal Government’s agenda in order to ensure overall development in all critical sectors.
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