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ASURI urges Tinubu to reject tenure extension proposal of former RMRDC DG

Published

2 years ago

April 26, 2024

The Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions(ASURI)has called on President Bola Tinubu to reject the tenure extension proposal of former director general of the
Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Hussein Ibrahim after his second and final tenure in office expired on April 7, 2024.

Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, Secretary General of the ASURI, stated this in a letter addressed to the president and made available to the press on Wednesday in Abuja.

The letter was titled:
Urgent need to curb Professor Hussaini D. Ibrahim from holding on to the finances of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) after the expiration of his second and final tenure as Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Council.

In the letter, the ASURI Secretary General argued that Prof. Ibrahim, former two term director general of the RMRDC totally disregarded and violated extant financial regulations by still holding on to the finances of the council.

“Following our protest letter of 16th April 2024, with Ref. No. ASN/SGF/RMRDC/0424/01, in which we reported his refusal to hand- over to the next most senior Director in compliance with extant regulations and vacate office.

” Professor Ibrahim did a hushed verbal handover to the Director of Industrial Plant and Equipment, Engineer Emmanuel Kwaya, without any documentation.
“However, he continues to hold on to control of the Council’s finances, authorizing payments and performing other executive functions as if nothing has changed, ” the letter read.

Ndubuaku wrote that ASURI had it on good account that the former RMRDC’s D-G, Ibrahim applied for tenure extension, which was an aberration with no legal backing anywhere.

He said Ibrahim was “already boasting that his approval would receive a Presidential nod anytime from now, which explains why he does not want to hand over.”

The ASURI Secretary General cited section 9 (d) of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council Act, 2022, which stated that the Director General/CEO shall “hold office for a term of five years in the first instance and may be re-appointed for another term of five years and no more.”

Ndubuaku clarified that giving Ibrahim a tenure extension of even one day would be an anathema to the laws of the land and the system and would negatively impact the anti-corruption stance and integrity of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
The letter explained that before Ibrahim was appointed as substantive Chief Executive of RMRDC in April 2014, he had occupied the position in an acting capacity for one year.

” He was appointed for a four-year tenure under the existing Establishment Act. He manipulated an amendment of the Act to make it a five-year tenure for the CEO, for which he has enjoyed two tenures of five years each, making a total stretch of 11 years as Chief Executive of RMRDC. “

Referring to the Circular of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) of 4th December 2024 with Ref. No. SGF.50/S.11/C.2/268 titled, “End of tenure processes for Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Directors General , Chief Executive Officers of Parastatals, Agencies, Commissions and Government -owned companies succession guideline.”

The ASURI Secretary General said the circular stated: “…pending the appointment of a substantive Head of Extra-Ministerial Department/Director General/Chief Executive Officer of Parastatals, Agency, Commission and Government-owned Company, the outgoing Chief Executive Officer must handover to the next most senior officer of the establishment, as long as the officer does not have any pending disciplinary matter. “

Ndubuaku said the circular further explicitly stated that “outgoing Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Parastatals, Agencies, Commissions, and Government-Owned Companies, are not allowed the discretion of choosing the officer to whom they would hand over.”

He said Professor Ibrahim’s refusal to hand-over formally and vacate office administratively and financially was also in violation of section 2.1.2 (d) (ii) of Conditions of Service for Federal Research Agencies, Institutions and Colleges (COS 2019).

The ASURI Secretary General therefore prayed that President Tinubu should reject the proposal of Professor Ibrahim for a tenure extension, no matter how brief.
That the President should direct office of the Accountant General of the Federation to delay the release of quarterly allocation of funds to RMRDC until a proper handover by Professor Ibrahim is done.

The ASURI also prayed that Tinubu directs a probe into the circumstances leading to the refusal of the former D-G to hand over and the financial authorizations he has granted since 8th April 2024.

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Ringo Sport Club, National Parks Service Team Up to Promote Eco-Tourism, Combat Climate Change

Published

14 hours ago

October 24, 2026

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

The Ringo Sport Club–Nigeria and the National Park Service (NPS) have begun moves to strengthen collaboration on eco-tourism promotion, environmental protection and climate change mitigation ahead of the maiden Nigerian Para-Military Ringo Sport Tournament (NIPAMRIST) 2026.

The National President of Ringo Sport Club–Nigeria and Chairman of the National Inter-Agency Organising Committee (NIAOC) of NIPAMRIST, Malam Ahmed Mohammed Sule, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Dr Ibrahim Musa Goni, at the Service’s headquarters in Abuja.

The visit was part of ongoing stakeholder engagements to secure the participation of personnel from para-military agencies and explore areas of cooperation ahead of the three-day tournament scheduled for November 19 to 21, 2026, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

Sule said the tournament was designed to bring together officers and personnel of Nigeria’s para-military agencies to compete for honours while promoting inter-agency cooperation, national unity, physical fitness and general well-being.

He explained that the engagement with the National Park Service was aimed at strengthening preparations for the inaugural competition and building a lasting partnership that would extend beyond sports.

According to him, the National Park Service is a strategic partner in advancing the tournament’s objectives, particularly through the integration of sports and tourism to showcase Nigeria’s natural attractions and encourage environmental awareness.

Sule disclosed that the Service had registered for the tournament and that some of its personnel had benefited from the intensive Ringo sport training programme organised by the club.

He urged the Conservator-General to mobilise more personnel for the competition, stressing that adequate preparation and mass participation would contribute to the success of the tournament.

The Ringo Sport Club president added that NIPAMRIST offered an opportunity to use sports as a platform for promoting Nigeria’s eco-tourism potential, improving the fitness of security and para-military personnel, and encouraging stronger institutional partnerships.

He called for sustained collaboration between the club and the National Park Service to leverage the tournament’s visibility in promoting the country’s protected areas and supporting tourism development.

Responding, Goni expressed appreciation for the visit and reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to the success of NIPAMRIST 2026.

He pledged that the National Park Service would encourage active participation by its personnel, describing the tournament as an avenue to improve physical fitness, discipline, teamwork and esprit de corps among staff.

The Conservator-General also welcomed the proposal for deeper cooperation on eco-tourism, noting that the Service had continued to pursue partnerships that support biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods and tourism development across Nigeria’s protected areas.

Goni linked the growing effects of climate change to environmental degradation and the neglect of environmental protection principles, noting that damage to ecosystems and the depletion of natural protective cover could contribute to displacement, migration and conflicts.

He said the relationship between sports and eco-tourism presented an opportunity to raise public awareness about Nigeria’s national parks while encouraging healthy lifestyles among service personnel and the wider population.

Goni assured the organising committee of the Service’s readiness to explore practical areas of cooperation before, during and after the tournament.

He also clarified that Nigeria has 17 national parks, with about 13 currently in active operation, correcting what he described as the misconception in some quarters that the country has only seven parks.

The visit ended with both parties agreeing to establish a working framework for the Service’s participation in the tournament and sustain discussions on eco-tourism promotion and other areas of mutual interest.

The organising committee expressed optimism that the partnership would strengthen NIPAMRIST 2026 and support its broader objectives of sports development, institutional cooperation and tourism promotion.

NIPAMRIST is the maiden inter-agency Ringo sport tournament organised by Ringo Sport Club–Nigeria for officers and personnel of Nigerian para-military establishments.

The 2026 edition is expected to feature 120 players and officials from eight agencies, including the National Park Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, among others.

The tournament is scheduled to run from November 19 to 21 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.

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