Tom Garba, Yola
In a significant development at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), the appointment of Professor Zacharia Buba Yaduma as the Director General has brought renewed hope and optimism among the institute’s dedicated staff. This rejoinder addresses recent publications containing false claims and serves as a clarion call for support and understanding.
The staff’s collective support and optimism were encapsulated in a comprehensive statement issued and jointly signed by Adetona Olubunmi, Chairperson of the Joint Action Congress at FRIN, and Andrew A. Umaru, the Secretary of Joint Action Congress at FRIN.
“Once again we have a cause not to dignify the pseudonymity of Kelvin Onaolapo and Wasiu Olaniregun but to correct the false assertions of the cowards behind some publications which can only attempt to disrupt the growing assurance and confidence the entirety of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) have enjoyed since the appointment of Professor, Zacharia Buba Yaduma as the Director General of FRIN by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Besides his status as a man highly qualified for the job he is the first alumnus in the history of FRIN since its establishment as the Federal Department of Forestry Research in 1954 under the Institute’s Decree 35 of 1973 and order establishing Research Institute of 1977 which changed the status of the Department to an institute to lead the institute and he is doing it not just with passion but consideration and heed for many who were pushed into the cesspool of slavery and intimidation by past leaderships of the institute.
“The new Director General has decided to work the talk by releasing conversions for staff across colleges who were qualified by acquiring higher qualifications but were denied conversion for reasons best known to those who stagnated them in the system, Departments have for the first time in the history of the institute prepared and submitted budgets to their respective provosts for onward consideration with a keen interest to understanding and improving peculiar needs of staff in accordance to the NBTE regulatory documents, this is to mention a few.
“The presidency, the 10th Assembly, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission, the Department of State Services and the Media must disregard any call by these sons of perdition to sack the DG as this will be tantamount to sabotaging the ideology of sanitizing institutions and making them work effectively which His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is championing. Mr. President must ignore this call to reverse the appointment of the DG as there is no timely intervention better than this appointment which has forefend the quiet but visible attempt to plant in a candidate through a kangaroo process that would have sustained a dynasty of oppression and intimidation, Illegal transfers without benefits and parading a research institute with lecturers that have to toil and train themselves without allowances and are hit with promotion conditions which are not in tandem with the NBTE regulatory documents. We will be ready to furnish you with more reasons and documents as to why the appointment of the new DG is a bold step toward liberation for the staff of the institute.
“It is also imperative to mention that the man in question has graduated many undergraduate and postgraduate students on both MSc and Ph.D. level one of the staff in FRIN inclusive, which make him a better research professor (Scientist) than any professor believed to have been raised by those who want professor Zacharia B. Yaduma removed and to also unequivocally mention that his appointment did not negate fairness and meritocracy as his 30years carrier in the field of academia and the impact he has made cannot be question at any level. Any attempt to blackmail the man, only reasonable questions the authority of the presidency to appoint a qualified candidate nominated by the then honorable minister of environment for the position as stated clearly in “Section 6 “ of the 2018 Act, Establishing FRIN and little wonder why all unions in the colleges came together under the umbrella of Joint Action Congress on the 20th of May, 2023 to throw their weight behind the appointment and appreciate the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari calling this appointment “The best gift of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to FRIN”
“Without a doubt, those sponsoring this petition are those who felt the ideology of men assuming the status of God in FRIN has been discontinued and the evil ideology synonymous with Williams Lynch’s 1712 vicious “Making of a Slave” has been averted.
“There is no better time than now to join hands with the DG and deliver better welfare and human capital development for all as well as reward for hard work void of victimization and suppression which was the drill in FRIN before now, This appointment was substantiated by former president Muhammadu Buhari’s administration but to us this is our first taste of RENEWED HOPE ushered in by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which we support and will work collectively with the DG and the president to move FRIN to new grounds which will be unmatched,” the statement read.
