By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THE Edo Unity League (EUL) has called on the Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Abubakar Kyari to resolve the leadership crisis threatening the peace in the Nigerian Institute for Palm Research (NIFOR) to enable the institute achieve the purpose for which it was established.

The Coordinator General of the EUL, Prof Akenuwa Obarogie stated this on Sunday in a letter to the Minister where he said there was the need for the minister to resolve the crisis that greeted the appointment of Dr. Napoleon Aisueni since 2017 and has been a subject of litigation.

He said Aisueni won at the Industrial Court affirming him as the duly appointed Director/Chief Executive of the Institute but that some misguided political cabal have continued to undermine the rule of law and ethics of appointment in the civil service as it concerns NIFOR and urged the minister to revisit the appointment of Aisueni rather than begin a fresh appointment which create more crisis in the Institute.

The statement also informed the minister that the leadership issue is presently at the Court of Appeal.

He pointed out that “advertisements and interviews earlier conducted were done without due process and therefore invalidated by court injunctions adding that “appointments cannot be made on that selection process until the court cases are concluded and a selection process initiated when the seat is unencumbered. This is consistent with the spirit and letters of all subsisting judgments by various courts of competent jurisdiction in the matter.

“Let us be clear that Dr. Napoleon Aisueni is an Edo man who was appointed into position as the Director/Chief Executive in year 2017 but was prevented from running his term even after the court judgment in his favour in which his appointment was declared proper, he is a victim of executive rascality.

“The Federal Ministry of Agriculture appealed that judgment which till date has not been set aside.

“Court judgment in favour of Dr Napoleon Osasuyi Aisueni in which his appointment vide letter No. Agr/B03/1/156 of 9/11/2017 as Director/Chief Executive of NIFOR was upheld and declared proper, valid and still stands by the National Industrial Court in suite No. NICN/BEN/24/2017 which has not been set aside till date. This judgment was appealed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in suite No. CA/AL/72/2019 and it is a pending suit at the Federal Court of Appeal, Akure.

“Appointing a substantive Director/Chief Executive indicates that Suite No. CA/Al/72/2019 has been set aside by the Ministry; an action we consider prejudicial and in complete violation of the rule of law.

He said the Benin National Congress (BNC) and the United Patriots Assembly of Nigeria (UPAN) are joint defendants and respondents in some of the cases because of the need to guarantee a peaceful operating environment in NIFOR and would want the issues resolved.