Date: 2016-08-18

Some members of the top management of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency intervene on the hurried handing over of reigns of power by the immediate past Director General of the institute, Dr. John Olarenwaju ? to the fourth senior officer of the institute, Mr. Ishaq Alabi as the acting Director General of the institute.

Such move, they said negates the laid down rules that had been producing the past head of the institute.

THISDAY checks revealed that, the immediate past DG of the institute, Olarenwaju was said to have handed over to the acting DG of the Institute in a controversial manner towards the end of last year without following the laid down procedures in the institute.

?Investigation also revealed that the extant rules of hierarchy, ?which had been religiously effective in the labour institute up till the tenure of the immediate past DG were flagrantly ignored as the fourth officer to the then outgoing DG was appointed as the acting Director general.

It was gathered that, apart from this, it is believed that a serious case of gender biase was in the appointment as the next officer to the then DG, Dr Madinat Folorunsho was said to have been unjustly retired. Again, Director of Admin, Mrs. Ebun Olalere, another female staff, was also said to be a senior person in rank to Mr Alabi. The development has however caused a lot of crisis in the institute and has been affecting the peaceful co-existence and development of the institute.

Meanwhile, four top directors of the institute, Director, Trade Union Education, Dr. Fatai. B. Onaeko, Dr, S.O.A Ajakaye, Mr. C.A Madamori and Dr. S.S Adamade in a letter dated 2nd May, 2016 addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, have appealed to the ministry to act promptly by setting the necessary machinery in motion to allow for a fairly competitive, inclusive and transparent process aimed at getting highly qualified personnel with capacity to head such an important institution as MINILS.

According to the letter, which was obtained by journalists in Ilorin, "To dispel all doubts of this being a hatchet job intended to unfairly unhorse him, the Acting D-G should be deemed eligible to participate in any fair selection process.

"It's improper of the D-G handing over the mantle of authority for the office without recourse to the supervisory powers and authority of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment". The senior officers also queried the alleged unilateral handing over to the acting DG in the labour institute, adding that on the ground of ethics, fairness and best practices, it was wrong for the former DG to hand over unilaterally to a person of his choice as was done in this case.