No Minister Has the Right to Upturn Due Process, Says Human Rights Lawyer

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

A human rights lawyer, Adedayo Aborisade, yesterday opined that no minister of the Federal Republic of

Nigeria has the right to upturn due process and judiciary standing.

This is as he declared that the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, is not a private property that anybody can covet for personal reasons.

The human rights activist, who sued the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh, for allegedly nullifying the recruitment process of a substantive Director-General of the National Centre for Technology Management, made this known through his associate, Olamiji Martins, at Federal High Court in Osogbo yesterday.

The minister was alleged to have turned aside due process because of his personal interest to impose a director from Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO) as the director-general on the management of NACETEM.

According to Olamiji, Minister Ikoh was dragged before a Federal High Court in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, alongside the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and NACETEM as other defendants.

Ikoh, who was served court summon for nullifying the recruitment process of new

NACETEM DG, did not respond or have representation at the court proceedings last Tuesday, based on the interim interlocutory injunction for the stoppage of the minister’s efforts at nullifying the standing recruitment committee.

The plaintiff, in a motion ex-parte brought before the court by his counsel, Olamiji Martins, argued that Ikoh flagrantly disobeyed the law by jettisoning the recruitment process of the NACETEM DG, which was kick-started by his predecessor, Ogbonnaya Onu, and was said to have set up a parallel committee for recruitment into same office.

The parallel committee members include Dr. Jummai Tutuwa/DG FIIRO; Mrs. Oju Thomas Y.U /Director of Legal; Mr. Bassey M.E.J/DCT/SA/HMSTI; Mrs. Aileru Abosede Jumoke/HRM; Mrs. Anyakwo H.N /Director for Special Duties; Dr. Patrick O/TA /OPS Perm Sec; lbiam Oguejiofo/ SA/HMSSTI, and Prof Azikiwe Onwughalu/Vice President, Africa University of Science.

Olamiji maintained that the government is continuum, and Ikoh ought to have allowed due process to be followed to the later through the committee which had already advertised the DG position and started receiving applications from interested candidates, instead of his nullifying their process and putting up a parallel one.

The public interest lawyer stated further that the case instituted against the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Ikoh, before Justice N. Ayo- Emmanuel had ordered Ikoh and other defendants whose offices are in Abuja to be served court notices and for them to show cause and explain to the court why it should not grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.