The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oseheye Okwuofu

  • Nigeria’ll be better if restructured, says Ayorinde

    Elder Taiye Ayorinde is a member of the Ibadan North West Traditional Council. He is also the Baale of Ekotedo, a vast community within the Ibadan metropolis. Prominent indigenes of Ibadan land converged on the Adamasigba Sports Complex, Ibadan to honour him during his 83rd birthday. Our Correspondent, OSEHEYE OKWUOFU in this interview engaged the traditional ruler on issues bordering on the fight for Ibadan state, restructuring and bloodshed in some parts of the country. Excerpts

    My father was known as best among most respected icons in the areas of Yoruba history, culture and tradition.  Apart from that, his main profession was agriculture. He propagated cocoa to West Africa and throughout Nigeria. After his retirement, he utilised his talents and brought it out for people to know that it is better to know your source, to know your history, tradition and wherewithal.

    Unfortunately these days, some people in charge of our education have erred. They made terrible mistakes for the reason best known to them. They removed History from our school curriculum. But I know why they did that. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was not a collective effort.

    It was something done by few and they wrote “we have “. How many of them sat at a conference to say “ we’’ in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)?

    Those who wrote the constitution cheated Nigerians, especially Southern Nigerians. But it was not their fault.

    Frederick Lugard, the man who amalgamated Nigeria on a fraudulent basis was responsible for the mistake. He falsified the population of the North. But the Northerners are no fools. They capitalised on it.

    And that is one of the reasons they didn’t give Ibadan a state. I am an Ibadan man. Ibadan would have to be called upon during the Hausa/Fulani incursion on Nigeria to come and save the rest, and the Ibadan did it.

    If you read the book An Instruction of Othman Dan Fodio now Ahmadu Bello’s Book, what he did was to say that it will take revenge on Ibadan. No matter what Ibadan does, Northerners are in the majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate. So, they will turn down Ibadan as revenge. There is nothing permanent in life.

    During the struggle to validate the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late MKO Abiola, there was the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). The Southerners fought without arms and ammunition. But we fought and won. And we are still prepared to do that. We are fighting intellectual war. There was a time when they said the Hausa were not knowledgeable. But they were smart enough to cheat us.

    Viability of Ibadan State

    Ibadan is bigger than some of the states in the North. Ibadan used to be the headquarters of the Western Nigeria and from it; you got Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and other states. Ibadan can stand on its own.

    Some people are saying some states cannot manage themselves. Governors of those states that cannot manage themselves should be punished. What have they been doing with their statutory allocations? And some of them were claiming that the funds were not enough, what about the common sense that they should manage what they got to make people happy.

    For instance, when Governor Abiola Ajimobi wanted to return schools to their owners, there was this acidic opposition against it. He wanted to return them to the owners because most of them went to Ahmadiyya Grammar School, Ibadan Grammar School and other schools. But they said no because they put religious and ethnic infusion into it.

    But the governor being reasonable, he created it in such a way those schools are now being run by community members.

    Another issue worth talking about is the Fulani herdsmen. Who are these herdsmen carrying AK47 riffle? When did they start doing that? Herdsmen were known to be carrying cudgels. With one cudgels, they can use it to direct 1000 cows. Now, it’s no more like that.

    One thing which is painful about that is that when the killings were in Benue State, the President didn’t visit them. He didn’t attend the burial. He didn’t even send high-powered presidential delegation to comfort them. Why is that? Is it because most of the people that died are Christians?

    But he visited the state thereafter

    When the killings and burials? Was he supposed to be there before the burial or after? Shouldn’t he have been there to console the people immediately after the killing?

    Why Ibadan should be a state

    Oyo State is big enough. In fact, don’t talk of Oyo State but how big Ibadan is. Ibadan is the largest city in Africa after Cairo. And Ibadan is the third most populous city in Nigeria after Kano and Ibadan is the home of the second Division Army. Ibadan alone has a population of over five million, according to the last census figure. Yet, the census is not correct.

    Ibadan is more than that, everybody knows that.  It is more populous than Edo, Enugu, Sokoto; Ondo and so on, that is going by last census. Ibadan has 11 local government areas and it has an average area land mass of 338 square miles.

    We still have at least 150,000 people in every local government area. Ibadan North alone is one of the foremost populated local government areas in Nigeria. Ibadan has five metropolitan local government area, namely Ibadan North, Ibadan North East, Ibadan North West, Ibadan South West, Ibadan South East and these are local government areas that could stand alone. So, if you give each of these local government areas a state, they will still be bigger than some states in the North.

    Besides, Ibadan has six urban local governments namely, Egbeda, Oluyole, Ona-Ara, Lagelu, Akinyele and Ido. Ibadan is the capital of Western colonial administration since 1893 and also Western Region in 1939. Why is Ibadan being denied a state status. I call Ibadan a country. Why is it being denied of a state status.

    You can divide Ibadan as it is now into three states. Ibadan hosts the first University in Nigeria, because the university was to be given to Abeokuta but they refused because they have no land. The first and the best Zoological Garden nation-wide is in the University of Ibadan.

    I am angry with the type of politics that Nigeria is playing. They are playing religious and ethnic politics.

    Ibadan covers an area of 3,186 square kilometres that is 1.195 square miles. Ibadan has seven federal constituencies as against constitutional stipulation of six. Instead of six, we have seven. Ibadan is Nigeria’s third cheapest city to live in, because Ibadan is so accommodating. Whether you come from North, East, South, as long as you abide by the laws of the land, you are welcome. We usually say Ibadan ki i gba onile bi ajeji It means when it comes to sacrificing somebody for rituals, we have to sacrifice the criminals.

    Framework for Ibadan State

    You cannot get a state without the required legal framework. What are the lawmakers from Ibadan at the National Assembly doing to make Ibadan state a reality?

    Our lawmakers have been pushing the demand for Ibadan state. I also went to Abuja to meet them with Chief Bayo Oyero leading the group. We went there to convince them why they should move for the approval of Ibadan state. But, do they agree, do they do the necessary things?

    We let them see the development of Ibadan. After Lagos, no other place in Nigeria. Take for instance; there is no other edifice such as Mapo Hall anywhere, with such Roman architectural style. Do you know that the first canning factory in Nigeria, Lafia Canning Factory, established and owned by Western Nigeria Development Corporation is here in Ibadan? The city itself, is a self-sustaining community, look at the University of Ibadan, the Polytechnic, University College Hospital, Ibadan, the Ibadan Technical University of which I was one of the people that worked on it and the IITA.

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation was opened in 1900, it started operation in 1896. At that time, the Baale of Ekotedo Chief Egbebi, was around. He happened to be the great uncle of Arapasowu, the Olubadan of Ibadan then.

    Any hope for Ibadan State soon?

    I have to be honest with you, Ibadan state will not come now, unless we have restructured Nigeria because there is a lot of cheating and the centre is too powerful. Let everything revert to the states.

    That means you are recommending parliamentary system?

    Of course yes. If there is no parliamentary system, call it anything you like but I want each state to be very independent, not depending on the Federal Government. Believe me am angry with the politics of Nigeria, and it is laden and clothed in corruption.

    Corruption, not only in pen, but brazen stealing of public funds and yet most of these people have not been imprisoned.

    But the current government is fighting corruption

    I have read of names of people that have been accused of stealing. Is that what we need? If they are corrupt and you find them corrupt, find a boat, put all of them in the boat and sink it. Some of them are using plea bargaining now, what is plea bargain? Plea bargain means, am sorry, I stole the money but I will return part of it that I have. That is still corruption. But the people that are encouraging corruption are the lawyers, and the entire judiciary.

  • Demolition of buildings: Court may jail commissioners over contempt

    Demolition of buildings: Court may jail commissioners over contempt

    An Ibadan-based businessman, Mr Dapo Davies has filed a contempt charge against Oyo state Attorney General and two serving commissioners in the state over an alleged gross disobedient to court orders.

    The government was said to have concluded plans to demolish a building containing 25 locked up shops located along Gate area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital despite an order from the court restraining government from pulling down the building.

    A source from the state Ministry of Works and Transport disclosed on Monday that the government would be moving to the site with a Bulldozer to pull down the said property already marked to pave way for the ongoing dualization of the Gate- Iwo road.

    In the application filed in court 3 at the state High Court, Ring Road, Ibadan, the claimant said that in spite of the pendency of the suit since 2013 as well as the pending injunction restraining the defendant (Oyo state government) from encroaching on the property, the defendant has continued to write threatening letters in a view to cause delay, disobey and frustrate the cause of justice.

    The counsel to the Businessman, Mr Babatunde Akinola from MFL Chambers, Ibadan in a two-page affidavit deposed to by Oluwatosin Ogunleye said that an application for interlocutory injunction was also filed and granted by the court, with the other originating processes when there was continuous disobedience by the defendants.

    He averred that in spite of letters written severally to the state officials, they have continued to disobey the order to maintain status quo, and therefore committed contempt before the court.

    The counsel stated that unless the defendant is committed to prison they will continue to encroach, trespass, humiliate, intimidate and interfere and delay the cause of justice in the case.

    In the written address, issues for determination before the court are whether the defendant ought to be charged for contempt, that the state is subject to the law and that the government should respect the right of an individual citizen under the rule of law.

  • Battle over Olubadan stool: Court orders hearing service on Olubadan

    Battle over Olubadan stool: Court orders hearing service on Olubadan

    An Ibadan High Court presided over by Justice Oladiran Akintola, Monday ordered that  hearing notice of the suit filed by the Seriki Chiefs be served on the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji and other members of the Olubadan-In-Council.

    The Seriki Chiefs led by High Chief Bayo Oyediji, had dragged Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and members of the Olubadan-In-Council to court, over the installation of Oba Adetunji, following the death of Oba Samuel Odulana.

    He had seek the order of the court that it is the turn of the Seriki line to produce the next Olubadan after the death of Oba Odulana

    At the resumed hearing of the case, counsel to the Seriki Chiefs, Mr. Sarafadeen Sanni, had drawn attention of the court to the fact that the defendants most especially members of the Olubadan-In-Council, had been employing delay tactics to prolong the case to the detriment of his clients.

    According to him, the last time that members of the Olubadan-In-Council last appeared or represented in the case was February 10, 2016, urging the court to do everything within the law to come to the rescue of his clients by fixing a date for the case to commence in earnest.

    Justice Akintola however drew his attention to the letter written to the court by the counsel representing the state, Mr. Salau Adegboyega, requesting for the adjournment of the case to either March 27 or 31 due to other official engagements.

    Sanni in his response said while he would not oppose that the case be adjourned, the dates suggested by the state counsel were too long as the two days were over a month.

    The presiding judge however enjoined him to pick within the dates suggested by the state counsel, stating that it would amount to futility to fix a hearing date for the case and at the end of the day; the state counsel would come again with a letter for adjournment when he was not part of the date picked.

    Justice Akintola then adjourned the case to March 27 after Sanni has agreed with the date, ordering that a hearing order which may be the final be served on all the defendants in the case.

  • Ibadan Chief wants arrested judges tried, jailed

    Ibadan Chief wants arrested judges tried, jailed

    • Applauds onslaught on judges

    An Olubadan traditional Chief, Baale Ekotedo, Chief Taye Ayorinde on Friday applauded the steps taken by men of the Department of State Security (DSS) to  arrest alleged corrupt judges, and called for immediate trial of the judges to serve as deterrent to other judicial officers in the country  .

    The 82 year old chief who wondered over the frightening discovery in the home of the judges said the best method to apprehend the judges was employed by the DSS and no one should condemn the security agents .

    Chief Ayorinde, a seasoned media practitioner bared his mind in a chat with The Nation in his Ekotedo, Ibadan residence.

    He stated that the conduct of the judges was not only  unexpected of a judge, but shocking and awesome .

    Rather than condemning the method of arrest, he argued that Nigerians must join hands together to fight corruption with a view to wiping out the cankerworm in the fabrics of the country.

    He said “All men are equal before God. And there is no judge in Nigeria that has immunity and there is no judge that is above the law and here are judges who were suppose to be the conscience keeper of the public and now they are the accuser of that same conscience.

    “Some people have been saying should they have been arrested, my answer is categorically YES . They should not only be arrested, they should be nicely disgraced.

    “Are they not the same judges that judge the case of Tafa Balogun, the top most man in the police sector in Nigeria, former Inspector General of Police who was been dragged on the street . He was handcuffed , they judged him and for me they are not above the law. They should even be taken to a Magistrate Court especially the one from Supreme Court where a junior Judge will judge his case.

    “We were all here when  mismanagement of some cases were done. We had another Judge in the case of Senator Ladoja . It was one Judge that delivered judgment on the things they did at D’Rovans Hotel where they sacked a sitting Governor and made Eleweomo, a motor boy, the Speaker of the House and the Judge said it was okay . What kind of judgment was that. They turned Nigeria to a jungle of irresponsibility.

    “But for the other Judge, Yusuf no matter what they did to bribe her to make her change the case ,she refused. That is a Judge .Can you imagine the PDP case, one Judge of the same High Court  delivered a ruling  and another High Court Judge on the same day ruled otherwise . Corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of the country.

    “And not until the whole thing changes ,like Buhari said, let it start with me. Now, am saying not only with me because people know me for being blunt. I don’t say things I believe to be untrue , I say things that are true and no matter where you check it out ,they find it to be true. Why should they be found wanting in the job they swore an oath.”

    Over the years, he noted that judges have shown that the nation’s judiciary was a house of corruption, adding that rather being a place of concealment for the common man, the judiciary had been a place of robbery.

  • We’ll submit to rule of law – Igbos tells Olubadan

    Igbo community in Ibadan under the umbrella of Igbo Community Development Association (ICDA) on Thursday said they will summit to rule of law in response to the order given by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji on the leadership of Igbo community in Ibadanland.
    The Olubadan had last Friday endorsed Chief Alloy Obi as the leader of Igbo community in Ibadan and threatened to order for the arrest of anyone who parades himself as Igbo leader except Chief Obi that received the monarch’s blessings.
    But in a reaction to the Olubadan’s threat , the ICDA said they rather obey the rule of law than the Olubadan.
    Both Chief Emmanuel Ndidi Nzeako, the President ICDA and Chief Alex Anozie, igbo community leader in Ibadanland  in a separate fora said the Igbo leader crisis in Ibadan has been resolved by an Ibadan High Court judgement which granted the prayers of Chief Anozie as the only recognised igbo community leader in Ibadan and Oyo state.
    According to a statement by Chief Anozie , the Oyo state High Court judgement on February 18, 2014 was quite explicit on the matter as it proclaimed him the only igbo leader in Ibadan and Oyo state.
    “I am also aware that ,that particular judgement has not been vacated by any superior court even though there has not been a stay of execution against the judgement . The matter is still left in the Appeal Court,” Chief Anozie said.
    Speaking on the controversial endorsement of Chief Alloy Obi by the Olubadan, Chief Anozie explained that “I was only invited once by the Olubadan In Council where I met Alloy Obi and the Baale of Ekotedo. I was surprised to see someone like Alloy Obi whom the court ordered to stop parading himself as igbo leader in Ibadanland. The only message passed on to us was that they do not want the use of the Eze title in Ibadanland as the South East Traditional rulers wrote to stop the use of the title outside igboland.”
    Also, the President of ICDA,  Chief Nzeako maintained that as a citizen they would remain law-abiding and were determined to follow the course of the law.
    He said: “As a people of this country, we believe nobody, no matter how highly placed in the society is above the constitution of Nigeria and on the constitution we stand”.

  • Nigeria’s most insecure food zone

    The South West geopolitical zone of Nigeria is increasingly becoming the most insecure food zone of the country, Professor Akinwumi Omotayo, Director, Institute of Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR), at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, has said.

    Professor Omotayo disclosed this in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Tuesday in a keynote address at the 29th South West Zonal Workshop on Research-Extension-Farmers Input Linkage System (REFILS) of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Moor Plantation, Ibadan.

    In a thought-provoking lecture entitled “Repositioning Agricultural Extension for Sustainable Food Security in Nigeria”, he expressed grave concern over South West Nigeria’s continued dependence on imported food items and food from other regions of the country.

    While noting that a comprehensive analysis of the state of food insecurity and dependency in South Western Nigeria “portrays an extremely gloomy picture,” the Agric expert gave a vivid illustration of the estimated dependency levels with some major food commodities.

    The chart below is according to Prof Omotayo:

    The Prof said: “In the South Western part of Nigeria in particular, indigenous farmers are gradually disappearing, food production is declining rapidly, those once classified as migrant labourers are taking over farms and becoming landlords, wetlands are being taken over and farmed for huge profits by migrants particularly from Northern Nigeria.
    Young people are becoming increasingly apathetic and demonstrating complete lack of interest in farming.
    The South Western part of Nigeria continues to depend increasingly on imported food items and food from other regions of Nigeria.
    Consequently, the South West is increasingly becoming more vulnerable to food insecurity than other parts of Nigeria.”

    Shedding light on other factors inhibiting agricultural development in the South West, Professor Omotayo said: “Forests are being converted to non-food production systems, water resources are becoming scarcer, and climate change plus shrinking biodiversity is threatening the viability of farming communities.

    “Not much consideration has been given to how to safeguard biodiversity for food and agriculture for future generations as well as maintain a broad gene pool which ensures ecosystem’s resilience.”

    Speaking earlier, the Director of IAR&T, Professor James Adediran noted with delight that proven technologies from the Institute and other collaborating centres had been transferred to the extension of Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) in the various states through the Monthly Technology Review Meetings.

    Professor Adediran however, called for increased funding for research activities in the on-going efforts to boost agricultural extension.

  • Lover plans to use girl, 17, for money ritual

    Lover plans to use girl, 17, for money ritual

    A 17-year old Senior Secondary School (SSS) 2 student, Ruth Alabi narrowly escaped been killed for money ritual when her boy friend lured her to the herbalist residence at Olodo area of Ibadan before she was rescued by vigilante men .

    Ruth Alabi who claimed that she was an SS2 student at an undisclosed school in Abuja said she came to spend the Easter holiday with her mother in Ibadan when the incident occurred.

    Her boy friend, Chubuike Omigbo, 33 who used to sell building materials at the Iwo Road area of Ibadan was arrested and paraded alongside the herbalist, Oladimeji Babatunde Ajala, 37 by the state police Command on Friday.

    The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Leye Oyebade who briefed newsmen on the incident at the state Police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan told journalists that the suspects had planned to use the girl for money making ritual before the evil planned was thwarted by the police.

    The CP noted that the suspects were arrested following a tip-off by a strategic partner when the duo were planning to use the girl for money ritual.

    He said ” the victim’s boyfriend, Chibuike, had lured her to the herbalist’s residence at No5, Galilee street, Olodo area of the state for the purpose of the ritual.

    “Luck, however ran out on them when their evil plan was uncovered through their conversation which was overheard by an eavesdropper. The suspects confessed to being fraudsters and that they had defrauded many innocent victims in the past,” the CP said.

    The police also recovered a black Nissan Altima with registration No. APP 627 CA, which the police said was bought with the proceeds from illegal business.

    Other items recovered from the suspects were some criminal charms, one statute in the image of Jesus, two other statutes and broken bottles spread on a mat.

    Answering questions from newsmen, the victim, Ruth Alabi who was accompanied by her mother said she had been going out with her boyfriend in the past four months until the incident occurred.

    According to her, they usually meet in front of Tantalizer before they  proceed to hotel where they have fun.

    “But the day this incident happened, Easter day, my boyfriend came with two of his friends and he asked me to enter a vehicle which they brought and they took me to a hotel where I was asked what will I drink. I told him that I will take malt drink, but he insisted I should take stout. So, I took a small bottle of stout. At a point, one of his  friends said I should come with him into a hotel room and there he told me he wants to have sex with me. I was uncomfortable with that, wondering how could that be. So, I had to lie that I was in my menstrual cycle.   

    After, my boyfriend said I should accompany him to another place, but I told him its already dark, that my mother has been calling my phone and that I will like to return home. He continued to pester me, until he took me to the place , and when we got to a place, he was calling some of his friends and I was afraid because it was already 10pm. That was all I know.”

    The victim was said to have slumped on their way to the residence of the herbalist and this attracted vigilante men who later called the police.

    When the police came, Ruth Alabi was rushed to a nearby hospital in an unconscious state, before she was revived.

    While in the hospital, the girl said  medical examination revealed that the stout she drank was laced with drugs.

    Speaking with journalists, the two suspects  denied the plan to use the girl for ritual .

  • Panic as police, students clash in Oyo

    There was panic in Eruwa, headquarters of Ibarapa East Local Government as Police and  students of Eruwa Polytechnic, Eruwa, Oyo state clashed , following their protest against the management of the school, on Tuesday.

    It was learnt that the students were protesting the dismissal of students of Higher National Diploma (HND) Business Administration and hike in fees charged for late registration by the management.

    The source within the campus who confirmed the development said “the students are protesting the introduction of late registration fees and dismissal of HND one students of Business Administration.”

    The protest, it was gathered did not go down with the management which called in members of the state police force in the town.

    This, according to sources led  to alleged gun shot on a student and another, a female student, also alleged to be asthmatic was tear gassed.

    The two students were said to be undergoing treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

    Explaining further, the source said “the affected HND one students of Business Administration were told to go home after being admitted, paid their school fees and had even been receiving lectures. The school now said they cannot admit them again, telling them to go home and come back next session.”

    The source hinted that the school management hinged their excuse on the fact that the affected  students studied Public Administration for their National Diploma (ND) courses.

    It added that the students insisted that the management gave them go ahead to apply for Business Administration for their HND programme which they complied.

    On this premise, according to our source, the students were admitted but were surprised when the management made a U-turn and sent them packing through a notice on the board.

    As if that was not enough, while the students were making appeal against the decision, the source noted that the students requested that the management return all monies, especially school fees paid into the coffers of the management.

    But they were shocked as the  management told them that when they return for their course next session, it will be sorted out.”

    The second reason for their protest centred on payment of late registration fees for both the Daily Part Time (DPP) and full time students.

    It was gathered that the students were appealing to the management on the basis that most of their parents who work as civil servants under the state government are being owed several months of salary.

    The two sections of students affected under this category are DPP students who pay N37,500  and their full time counterparts who are currently paying N28,250 as their school fees were billed additional N2,500 as late registration fees and N300 as bank charges.

    It was also gathered that students were forced to remain indoor till around 5.00pm on Tuesday for fear of arrest while some others were at the time being detained at Sango police station, Eruwa.

    All efforts to reach the management for their reaction on the development proved abortive.

    One of the principal officers who spoke with newsmen  under condition of anonymity confirmed the protest but declined to comment on the reason for the protest .

  • Sacked workers protest in Ibadan

    The labour unrest at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan, Oyo State, took a new dimension yesterday as the 95 sacked workers of the institute took to the streets, demanding their reinstatement.

    Singing solidarity songs, they called for the immediate removal of CRIN’s Board Chairman, Chief Francis Fadahunsi.

    The protesters, who stormed the office of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), described their sack as “victimization”.

    They were led by the state Coordinator of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), Comrade Bamigboye Abiodun and the Chairman of the Committee of Sacked Workers, Comrade Ajibola Yinka.

    The sacked workers carried placards with inscriptions such as: “We demand the removal of Chief Fadahunsi as CRIN board chairman”; “No to victimisation of our union leaders”; “Police, SSS, Civil Defence officers stationed in CRIN must be withdrawn now”; “No to victimisation of CRIN”; “No to Police occupation of CRIN”; “Sack of 95 CRIN workers is a clear case of victimisation” and “We demand the promotion of staff as at when due”, among others.

    Some traders and passersby joined in the protest, which caused traffic gridlock in some parts of the city.

    The protesters said they were sacked in January because they complained that their employment had not been confirmed after many years.

    One of them said: “The offence upon which this mass sack is based is so ridiculous especially, since it is the responsibility of CRIN management to ensure that the confirmation of workers on probation does not exceed two years, unless an extension is approved by the Federal Civil Service Commission.”

    The embattled Director of the institute, Prof. Malachy Akorada, said: “Please I am not in town now and I cannot react on the telephone, but by Friday, I will make available records to verify your facts.”

    The protesters alleged that during the industrial dispute, they were beaten, harassed and intimidated by hired thugs, adding that union leaders were queried and interrogated by security operatives.

    They urged trade unions, civil society organisations and the public to join the CDWR in the campaign for their unconditional reinstatement and the payment of their outstanding salary.