Yusuf Bakare
It was a tensed atmosphere on Members at the the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), ilorin when members of the three in-house unions (NASU, SSAUTHRAI AND ASURI) held what is tagged strategic convergence to take a stand expressing their displeasure over rumoured reappointment of Issa Aremu as the Director General of the institute for a second term of four years.
Members and Unions at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin on Moinday expressed displeasure over rumoured reappointment of Comrade Issa Aremu as the Director General of the institute.
Addressing members of the Joint Action Committee in a meeting tagged in Ilorin, Kwara state capital, Chairmen of the three unions in the institute Ruth Ejechi, Idris Abdulmajeed and Joel Afolayan of Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of University, Teaching Hospital Research and Allied Institutions (SSA) accused the DG of maladministration, high-handedness and mismanagement.
They described his administration as experimental while the trio in unanimity spoke through through Comrade Afolayan urging the Federal Government through the Federal Minmistry of labour to set up a committee to follow up on all issues raised in earlier petitions forwarded to the table..
In their words: “It became necessary to have our thoughts documented and duly passed across to you today, particularly at the wake of misgivings not only about our dear premier institute but also about its most valued, cherished and resourceful human resources.
“The evidence of outstanding performance over four decades, even with limited resources, is indisputable. The institute was privileged to be administered by different personalities who delivered based on the richness of their intellectual capacities, deep-rootedness in public service, depth of public relations and workplace culture.
“Experimental leadership rocked the boat; disrupted the sail, and nearly sank the institute.
“These necessitated the need to categorically urge the general public, the working
population, labour centres, labour unions, and government to disregard misgivings surrounding his purported reappointment.”
The unionists expressed: “He came from outside of the public service and did not come with the knowledge of how things work here. During his first tenure he was unteachable. He was simply for himself not for staff development. The four years were terrible times for the workforce. Staff development was put on hold.”
The unionists also alleged that Issa Aremu neglected the facilities and allowed them get dilapidated and most of them becoming irreparable.
However, in a release made available to some correspondents, Issa Aremu pledged to consolidate on the achievements of the last four years and further realign the premier Institute to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on quality labour education to promote decent job creation through youths skills acquisition programme and industrial harmony in the country.
His pledge is contained in his letter of appreciation to the president having collected his reappointment letter at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in Abuja on Monday.
The DG said he “was highly privileged to be reappointed to serve at times of far reaching reform agenda under a deliberate, patriotic audacious president, adding that his “reappointment further repositions him to continue with the promotion of labour/civil society/ citizens engagements on the unprecedented achievements at the labour sector under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Aremu who described the President as the “reformer -in-chief,” listed the milestone achievements of Tinubu presidency in the labour sector as “2024 National Minimum Wage Act, the most expansive and impactful N758 billion bond to settle long standing pension liabilities, employment of 774 National Health Fellows, youth employability and poverty eradication program through SKILL-UP-ARTISANS (SUPA) program , 2-5 million Labor Employment and Employment Programme (LEEP) programme, mass social housing, formation of NELFUND, (Nigerian Education Loan Fund), public sector job retention and non/ retrenchment in the wake of declining public revenue.”
