A group, the Edo Unity League, on Monday appealed to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, to intervene in the leadership crisis rocking the Nigerian Institute of Palm Research (NIFOR) to prevent any deadlock in the agroindustrial sector.

The General Coordinator of the Edo Unity League, Prof. Akenuwa Obarogie, stated this in a letter to Kyari in the face of the leadership crisis that has plagued the petroleum research institute over the years.

Obarogie, who recalled a series of court rulings in favor of the appointment of Dr. Napoleon Aisueni since 2017 as Director/Chief Executive, lamented that an alleged political cabal has continued to undermine the rule of law and ethics of appointments in the public service. as far as NIFOR is concerned.

He noted that “previously conducted advertisements and interviews were made without regard to due process and were therefore invalidated by pending court orders,” adding that “appointments cannot be made in that selection process until the cases judicial conclusion and a selection process begins when the seat has no obstacles. This is consistent with the spirit and letter of all subsisting judgments of various courts of competent jurisdiction in the matter.”

He added that Dr. Napoleon Aisueni, an Edo man who was appointed to the position of Director/Chief Executive in 2017 but was prevented from exercising his mandate even after the court ruling in his favor, which declared his appointment, is a victim of executive malice.

He maintained that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture appealed said ruling, which to date has not been annulled, pointing out that “the judicial ruling in favor of Dr. Napoleón Osasuyi Aisueni, in which his appointment was declared vide official No. Agr/B03/ 1 /156 of 09/11/2017 as Director/Chief Executive of NIFOR was confirmed and declared admissible, valid and still in force by the National Labor Court in the suit No. NICN/BEN/24/2017, it has not been dismissed until the date .”

“This ruling was appealed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Safety in lawsuit no. CA/AL/72/2019, a suit pending at the Federal Court of Appeal, Akure.”

“The appointment of a substantial Director/Chief Executive indicates that the Ministry has dismissed complaint no. CA/AL/72/2019, an action that we consider harmful and in complete violation of the rule of law.”

“Dr. Napoleon O. Aisueni may no longer wish to hold office, but his case in court should be officially processed and the necessary agreement reached between the parties. It is illegal for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Safety to trample judicial processes with impunity in a government that proclaims respect for the rule of law in all its administrative activities.”

Obarogie explained that the Benin National Congress (BNC) globally, as well as the United Patriots Assembly of Nigeria (UPAN), are joint defendants and defendants in some of the above cases due to the need to ensure an operational environment peaceful in NIFOR.