Workers of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Lagos, have described a petition by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) calling the Institute “an old dump site” a figment of lies.
In a statement by FIIRO Branch of the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), the workers condemned “the undue interference in the internal operations and management of the Institute by some external forces.”
According to the statement, signed by the Chairman of ASURI FIIRO Branch, Comrade (Dr.) Ahmed Aroke, the claim by HEDA, a non-governmental organization, that FIIRO is an old dumping ground without any meaningful activities is a mischievous fabrication of lies that does not portray today’s situation at the nation’s premier research institute.
The union said what HEDA described in its petition was the situation at FIIRO three years ago before Dr. (Mrs.) Jummai Adamu Tutuwa took over as the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Institute, adding that “it is a lack of patriotism for anyone to claim that no meaningful activity is taking place in the Agency that has been rated the best among the best during the annual Science, Technology and Innovations Expo in 2023 and 2024 back to back.”
The ASURI FIIRO noted that with the efficient and astute management skills of the current Chief Executive, the Institute has returned to the path of glory for which it had been known.
According to Aroke, the Institute was grounded for three years when it was engrossed in industrial crises until Dr. Tutuwa took over, restoring peace and putting the Agency on the path of progress again, noting that it sad to note that some agents of darkness within the institute are not happy and are engaging external forces to join in beating their drums of war again.
HEDA, in a petition of 15th March 2024 titled “Urgent Intervention to Resuscitate the Foremost Research Institute in Nigeria: Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO)” to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had made disparaging remarks about the Institute.
However, the union noted that the Chairman of HEDA, Mr. Suraju Olanrewaju, who signed the petition, would have had a different opinion if je had visited the Institute before writing the letter, adding that he only echoed the unpopular views of a few elements within FIIRO.
It would be recalled that ASURI FIIRO Branch passed a vote of confidence in Dr. (Mrs.) Tutuwa in January this year.
Moving the motion for the vote of confidence then, Comrade Charles Ekpenyong, recalled that until 2022 when the Chief Executive came into office, FIIRO was in the media space attracting undue publicity for negative reasons, which he described as “an ill wind that blew no one any good.”
He said: “Despite its larger-than-life stature within the Research and Development Institutes (RDIs) sector, FIIRO was degenerating in terms of infrastructural facilities which was beginning to affect delivery on its mandate, and this was becoming worrisome to the Federal Government and indeed most stakeholders.
“Agreeing that in an atmosphere of war, no meaningful development ever takes place, stability came the way of the prime Agency within the Science, Technology and Innovation family with the appointment of a new substantive Director General/Chief Executive Officer in the person of Dr. (Mrs.) Jummai Adamu Tutuwa in 2022.”
He noted that within one year, the Establishment Act of FIIRO, which had been unattainable over the decades, was achieved which, according to him, was to the envy of many other Research Institutes in the country which are yet to have their Bills passed and they have been seeking counsel from our Agency on how this was achieved.
Comrade Ekpenyong emphasized the repositioning and restoration of FIIRO as the leading Research Institute in Nigeria which, he noted, had been established as the agency was awarded the first position during the 2023 Science, Technology and Innovations Expo in Abuja.
He said FIIRO now wears a new look, “thanks to the spirited renovation and rehabilitation of existing infrastructural facilities, as well as providing additional ones, even as he recalled that the payment of outstanding promotion arrears, which had piled up from the 2018, 2019 and 2020 promotion years, had been cleared under the watch of Dr. (Mrs.) Tutuwa, as promised during her maiden meeting with staff.”
The member said that by her background as a Research and Development-oriented person, massive funding of research projects had attracted the attention of the Chief Executive such that at FIIRO, it is a new lease of life for Research Fellows, adding that it promises to get better under her watch.
The union called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ignore unpatriotic reports about FIIRO.
