The three unions in the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) have protested the management’s alleged violation of Public Service Rules, non-payment of claims, and wrongful deployment.
The unions include the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI).
The protesters on Friday blocked the entrance to the council, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Stop Negative Precedence and Victimization of Women,” “Pay Staff Claims,” and “We Say No to Victimization and Harassment,” among others.
The Chairman of ASURI, Mr Egberuare Timothy, said the protest was aimed at addressing certain abnormalities in the institute.
“We are protesting maladministration, embezzlement, and non-payment of staff claims. Look at our environment; it is unkempt.
“We are faulting the executive secretary’s deployment of staff without following due process and the victimization of staff.
“That is not the kind of system we want in this organization. That is why we are saying no to any misconduct involving the executive secretary.”
Similarly, the Branch Chairman of NASU, Mr Napoleon Ocheja, said the congress was demanding that the chief executive explain certain decisions that violated public service rules.
“We are equally demanding that the chief executive reverse those decisions in the interest of the organization and for the betterment of the staff.
“Approval of certain decisions is supposed to come from the minister before they can be effected, especially the deployment of a management member.
“Also, we do not have ‘Special Duty’ on our organogram to which a management staff should be deployed. All we are asking is for our chief executive to come and address the staff.
“We have written and are calling on the Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security to intervene because we want sanity here. That is our simple demand.”
He explained that they wanted things to be done in line with extant rules.
“We do not want things to be done without respect for extant rules and public service rules,” Ocheja stressed. “The executive secretary should lead with respect and compliance with civil service rules. Those are our demands.”
Also, the Chairman of SSAUTHRIAI, Mr Mansur Suleiman, said the unions had engaged the executive secretary on issues concerning staff welfare, training, and other matters.
“All we want is his attention. He should come and address the staff and our grievances. That is all we want.”
Meanwhile, in his reaction, the Executive Secretary of ARCN, Dr Abubakar Danban, commended the staff and appealed for calm.
He pledged to look into their demands and requested dialogue to address the issues raised.
Reporters gathered that during the meeting with the unions, Danban granted some of the unions’ requests and called for further deliberations on others
