Group Lauds Kyari over Peace in NIFOR, Urges Security to Arrest Rumor Mongers
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city
An Edo State-based socio-cultural group, Benin Nation Congress (BNC), yesterday called on the Nigeria security agencies to investigate attempts by some disgruntled individuals and rumor mongers to stoke crisis and unsettled the prevailing peace in the Nigeria Institute For Oil Palm Research, (NIFOR) through fictitious media publications.
The group, while commending the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, for the peace in NIFOR, however, pointed fingers at some unnamed aggrieved and retrogressive staff whom it alleged were found guilty over illegal sales of oil palm seedlings and other sundry allegations of being behind the said publication against the Research Institute.
BNC in a statement issued in Benin-city and signed by it Vice President, Amadin Owas, debunked the negative rumor and insisted that at no time did any elders’ forum call for purported CEO selection result test, adding that there is no crisis whatsoever in NIFOR.
Rather, Owas said the present administration in place at NIFOR has achieved some milestones in the areas of staff welfare, research, stable power and water supply, among other laudable achievements.
The group also reminded distractors that the pending issue over leadership in NIFOR is being resolved by the supervising ministry, adding that they are the legal cases that resulted from the appointment and the unfortunate cancellation of Dr. Napoleon O. Aisueni as Director/Chief Executive Officer of NIFOR.
It said: “NIFOR and her host communities are experiencing unprecedented peace and harmony than they have enjoyed in the last 84 years of hosting the research institute due to the expertise of the current administration.
“Our investigation showed that the current administration has prioritized research and staff welfare since its inception. The current administration made transportation available to reduce staff transportation cost by more than 70%, provided palliatives to staff members of the NIFOR, including Christmas welfare packages that listed rice, palm oil and highly discounted beef and chicken to all staff including daily paid workers; the first they have ever experienced since the inception of the Institute.
“These are a small fraction of the achievements within one year of the new administration. A peep at the details of their year 2025 budget will provide you an insight into the efforts at rediscovering the glory days of NIFOR.
“BNC findings, however, showed that the ominous publication was allegedly sponsored by a cohort of aggrieved/retrogressive staff of NIFOR led by a management staff that was found guilty of illegal sales of oil palm seedlings including sales of experimental oil palm seedlings of his junior colleagues.
“The current administration found out through a panel that he had engaged himself in these fraudulent practices over the years. The publication was therefore done to draw negative attention to the Institute.
“The Benin National Congress (BNC) respectfully called on the Nigeria’s security and intelligence community to investigate and arrest the authors of the publication on social media, reason being that it is a direct attempt at destabilising the state through misinformation and calculated act of spreading fake news to the Nigerian society.”
