Professor Hussaini D. Ibrahim
By Raphael Ekpang
Irked by the flagrant and nonchalant abuse of Public Service procedure, the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), has written the relevant agencies of government and complained against the Director General/Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO) of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Professor Hussaini D. Ibrahim, whose tenure expired on Sunday, 7th April 2024, but has refused to hand over to the next most senior Director and vacate office in line with extant regulations.
ASURI in a letter dated 16th April 2024, which was addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Ministers of Innovation, Science and Technology and Labour and Employment, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC); the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Director General, Department of State Service (DSS) said Professor Ibrahim must not only be made to hand over and vacate office immediately but also all executive, administrative and financial functions which he performed since his tenure expired must be investigated for the integrity of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration.
A letter signed by ASURI Secretary General, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku reads in part: “With fervent and patriotic zeal, we of the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), which represents the welfare interest of Research Fellows in Research and Development Institutes (RDIs), Inter-University Centres, Colleges and Allied Agencies, hereby report the flagrant and nonchalant abuse of Public Service procedure by Professor Hussaini D. Ibrahim, whose second and final tenure as Director General/Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO) of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) expired on Sunday, 7th April 2024, but has refused to hand over to the next most senior Director and vacate office in line with extant regulations.
“We have it on good account that rather than hand over and vacate office, Professor Ibrahim merely locked up the office of the DG at the headquarters of RMRDC at Maitama and relocated to the outstation of the Council located within the premises of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) along the Musa Yar’Adua Expressway at Lugbe, from where he continues to function as DG, authorizing payments and performing other executive functions.
“Without any iota of doubt, this is a direct violation of the Circular of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) of 4th December 2024 with Ref. No. SGF.50/S.11/C.2/268 titled, “END OF TENURE PROCESSES FOR HEADS OF EXTRA-MINISTERIAL DEPARTMENTS, DIRECTORS GENERAL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF PARASTATALS, AGENCIES, COMMISSIONS AND GOVERNMENT-OWNED COMPANIES AND SUCCESSION GUIDELINE.”
“The Circular says, inter alia, “…pending the appointment of a substantive Head of Extra-Ministerial Department/Director General/Chief Executive Officer of Parastatals, Agency, Commission and Government-owned Company, the outgoing Chief Executive Officer must hand over to the next most senior officer of the establishment, as long as the officer does not have any pending disciplinary matter. Outgoing Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Parastatals, Agencies, Commissions, and Government-Owned Companies, are not allowed the discretion of choosing the officer to whom they would hand over.”
“Professor Ibrahim’s refusal to hand over and vacate office is also in violation of section 2.1.2 (d) (ii) of Conditions of Service for Federal Research Agencies, Institutes and Colleges (COS 2019) which says, “In the event of the exit or temporary absence of the substantive Executive Director/Director General/Provost, the most senior Research Fellow/Lecturer shall oversee the affairs of the Institute/College pending the appointment of a substantive Head or return of the substantive Executive Director/Director-General/Provost.”
“Through a letter dated 22nd January 2024, with Ref. No. RMRDC/AF/35/S.35/1, Prof Ibrahim had notified the Hon. Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology that his tenure would expire on 7th April 2024. The opening paragraph of the letter, titled “NOTIFICATION OF OFFICE TENURE EXPIRATION AS DIRECTOR GENERAL/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, RAW MATERIALS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (RMRDC) AND REQUEST FOR COMMISSIONING OF PROJECTS,” says, “I write to inform the Honourable Minister that my second and final tenure in office as the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) will expire on April 7, 2024.
“We are convinced beyond reasonable doubt therefore that the action of Professor Ibrahim is a deliberate affront to established procedure and extant regulations, which must not be overlooked. What are those administrative and financial duties that he could not perform in the 11 years that he spent as Chief Executive of RMRDC that he needs extra time to perform?
“As a responsible trade union with jurisdictional scope in the Research and Development Institutes sector, therefore, we shall be left with no choice other than to lock him out if he refuses to vacate office immediately in order to protect the integrity of the system,” the letter stated
