FIIRO workers remove union leader over DG's PhD

The crisis at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Lagos, may have degenerated after the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions, Dr Ahmed Aroke, was removed for allegedly backing the embattled acting Director-General, Chima Igwe.

ASURI is one of the three unions in FIIRO.

The PUNCH learnt, on Tuesday, that Aroke was impeached for allegedly frustrating calls for a protest and the suspension of Igwe.

He was said to have been replaced by his deputy, Elakhame Zubair.

FIIRO has been embroiled in a crisis over Igwe’s refusal to produce a certificate to back his PhD claim, which he said he got 18 years ago in Benin Republic.

The matter is still a subject of an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.

Authorities at Universite d’Abomey-Calavi, Benin Republic, where he claimed to have studied, said Igwe abandoned the programme and he had yet to defend his thesis.

His supervisor in particular, Prof. Mansour Moudachirou, explained that he would not get a certificate until he completed his programme.

FIIRO workers started a protest two weeks ago, calling for the suspension of Igwe in accordance with extant public service rules.

They specifically accused the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, of supporting Igwe.

The governing board was also said to have forwarded a report on the crisis to Onu after a three-hour meeting in Abuja last Tuesday.