Group petitions Buhari on NIFOR appointment

A socio-cultural group, Benin National Congress (BNC) has forwarded a strong-worded petition to President Muhammadu Buhari on what it described as “diabolic appointment and re – appointments in Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR)”.
In the petition signed by its Director of Mobilisation, Comrade Osaretin Igbinogun, the BNC said that the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh should be blamed “for any breakdown of law and order in Edo State” in view of his alleged role in the conflicting instruction on who heads the Nigeria Institute For Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Benin.
According to BNC “NIFOR is certainly critical to any systemic revolutionisation of our nation’s agriculture sector.

“But, the recent diabolic maneuvers allegedly engineered by relatives of one Mrs. Audu Ogbeh to remove the duly appointed Director/Head of NIFOR – Dr. Osasuyi Aisueni albeit diabolically, leaves much to be desired and raises grave worries on your administration.

“We respectfully urge you sir, to save public institutions in Edo State especially and Nigeria at large.”

Going further, BNC asserted “We read with utter consternation a letter dated 9th November 2017, and signed by Mrs. A. C. Bawa wherein our son and brother, Dr. Osasuyi Aisuehi was officially communicated of his appointment by the Minister for Agriculture and Natural Resources (Chief Audu Ogbeh) in consonance with the enabling law establishing the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and the Act setting up Research Institutes; but in a twist another fellow was appointed days after based on her loyalty to one Mrs. Audu Ogbeh, and the Hon. Minister in a characteristic show of disservice to the fundamentals of his office, and caused another letter to be addressed to Dr. Aisuehi on the deceptive ground that his earlier appointment was in error. “‎

“This is flagrant disdain to due process and the rule of law; and as a sociocultural organization, we won’t sit idly while pervasion of justice reign in our communities.”

BNC averred that “the seeming slide from reasonability to probation and reprobation within split seconds by the Hon. Minister will evaporate your towering pedigree and integrity if he is not sacked immediately and unconditionally.

“It is obvious that your leniency is been taken for granted by some public office holders, and if Audu Ogbeh is allowed to get away with this brazen nepotism by you, it will cast doubt in your administration image and in very precarious dimension too, even as we will press legal charges against him in person, in his official capacity and the Federal Ministry to ensure the protection of the sanctity of the rule of law in public service administration.

“As we write you this protest letter, the host communities of NIFOR are in dire expectation of your Excellency’s emergency intervention, and the Benin people cannot take responsibility for any of total breakdown of law and order in that domain, the communities can no longer stomach oppression from the very public officers that ought to uphold fairness and equity.

“We are by this letter appealing for the immediate investigation of the Hon. Minister as academic and administrative activities can’t be sacrificed in NIFOR because of the circumnavigation of the Hon. Minister for Agriculture, and the general public anxiously awaits the shape and form the resolution will take. We like to most respectfully place on record that we will not fold our arms and allow Dr. Asuehi to be dribbled around like an orphan in the den of hawks.”

Titus Akhigbe, Benin