You Can’t Appoint Substantive Director for NIFOR Until Court Cases Are Decided, Group Tells Agric Minister

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A pressure group, the Edo Unity League, (EUL) is resisting the appointment of a substantive Director/Chief Executive for the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, NIFOR, near Benin City, Edo State, until the leadership crisis that arose in 2017 over the aborted appointment of Dr. Napoleon Osasuyi Aisueni, was legally resolved.


In a letter to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari on Sunday, the Coordinator General of the EUL, Prof Akenuwa Obarogie called on him to ensure that the leadership crisis threatening the peace and harmony of the embattled NIFOR was resolved in order to achieve its desired technology-driven agrobusiness value chain.

Recalling series of court judgements since 2017 in favour of the appointment of Dr. Aisueni as the Director/ Chief Executive, Obarogie however regretted that some misguided political cabals had continued to undermine the rule of law and ethics of appointment in the civil service as it concerns NIFOR.

He noted that “advertisements and interviews earlier conducted were done without regard to due process and therefore invalidated by pending court injunctions.” Prof. Obarogie insisted that “appointments cannot be made on that selection process until the court cases are concluded and a selection process initiated when the seat is unencumbered. This is consistent with the spirit and letters of all subsisting judgements by various courts of competent jurisdiction in the matter.
“Let’s be clear that Dr. Napoleon Aisueni, an Edo man who was appointed into position as the Director/Chief Executive in year 2017 but was prevented from running his term even after the court judgement in his favour in which his appointment was declared proper is a victim of executive rascality.
“The Federal Ministry of Agriculture appealed that judgement which till date has not been set aside, like other cases that arose from that judgement since 2017.
“Court judgement in favour of Dr Napoleon Osasuyi Aisueni in which his appointment vide letter No. Agr/B03/1/156 of 9/11/2017 as Director/Chief Executive of NIFOR was upheld and declared proper, valid and still stands by the National Industrial Court in suit No. NICN/BEN/24/2017 which has not been set aside till date. This judgement was appealed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in suit No. CA/AL/72/2019 in a pending suit at the Federal Court of Appeal, Akure.
“Appointing a substantive Director/Chief Executive indicates that Suit No. CA/Al/72/2019 has been set aside by the Ministry, an action we consider prejudicial and in complete violation of the rule of law.

“Dr Napoleon O. Aisueni may not be desirous anymore of occupying the position but his case at the courts should be officially processed and necessary settlement reached between the parties. It is unlawful for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food security to roughshod court processes with impunity in a government that proclaims respect for the rule of law in all its administrative activities.

“The Benin National Congress (BNC) Worldwide, as well as the United Patriots Assembly of Nigeria (UPAN) are joint defendants and respondents in some of the above cases because of the need to guarantee a peaceful operating environment in NIFOR.

“BNC Worldwide and UPAN petitioned the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Agricultural Council of Nigeria to the House Committee on Public Petition but hearing was suspended till the end of the pending court processes”.