Education

The Registrar/CEO of the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory and Technology Dr Ighodalo Ijagbone has been accused of disregarding the new 8-year tenure in office policy by Federal Government. Documents made available to Daily Trust revealed Dr Ijagbone tenure supposed to end in 2014 but  he remains in office despite several circulars to remind him of his tenure end. In a memo dated April 12, 2006 from Dr Ijagbone to the Director, Admin and Finance of the Institute, titled: Resumption of Duty as Full-Time Registrar/ CEO(Director-General), the CEO said following the approval by the University of Ibadan to grant me Annual and Sabbatical leave with effect from 13 March 2006, I wish to inform you that I have assumed duty on full time appointment in the Institute with effect from 1st April ,2006. Please effect this in the personnel pay roll accordingly. This indicated that Dr Ijagbone is currently serving his 10th year in office. The CEO was also being accused of falsifying his age as contained in his various CVs. A petition written by some staff to protest his long stay alleged that Dr Ijagbone was born in 1952 but “falsely represented that he was born in 1956 and forged document(s) to that effect.” In a petition dated 7th April, 2015, which was sent to the Ministry of Science and Technology through their lawyers at Caleb G. Danja and Co, Ufaruna and Kumbak said there were discrepancies in age declared by the registrar in his documents and certificates. For instance,they said in the petition, the curriculum vitae (CV) attached to Dr Ijagbone’s application to Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Institute; dated 27th December, 2004 “(Exhibit ‘A’), he claimed he was born on 19/9/1956. But “apart from Exhibit A, Dr Ijagone has a different CV (Exhibit ‘B’) wherein his date of birth was 1952.” The petitioners also said: “ …Exhibit ‘C’ which is a Manifesto presented by Dr Ijagbone while seeking for the post of Registrar/Secretary of the Institute in 1994, wherein  he claimed to be 42 years old. The consequence of this claim is that Dr Ijagbone was given birth to in 1952. “Interestingly, the claim of Dr Ijagbone that he was 42 years in 1994 sharply contradicts Exhibit ‘A’ wherein Dr Ijagbone’s date of birth is purported to be in September, 1956 (which makes him 38 years in 1994). Also from the website of the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT) which carries the photograph of Dr Ijagbone and his profile  wherein his date of birth is Sept, 1956. He was silent in his profile as to his  present position as Registrar of NISLT but confirmed  that he is currently serving as a senior lecturer at the University of Ibadan. Does this mean that Dr Ijagbone is holding two full time appointments concurrently This is an issue that needs urgent and proper investigation.”   But the NISLT CEO denied neither extending his tenure nor falsified his age. Reacting to the allegation to Daily Trust recently, Dr Ijagbone said the petitioners were only ganging up to tarnish his “hard earned reputation and qualifications. According to him, “those behind the petition want me to do certain things which are not in line with the Act that set up the institute and I refused; that is why they want to force me out of the institute.” He said: “It is a gang up against me and by the grace of God they will not succeed. My second term tenure is ending on March 31st, 2016; and I am wondering what these people are saying: that I want to be there forever. For God sake how can a public servant be in place for ever. It can’t be. Those people (behind the petition) are only out to cause confusion in the system. We know that and we had to call them to ask what do you really want None of their grievances are genuine. The DG promised to make public some of the secrets of the people behind the petition.