Bola Akinterinwa, a professor and the director general (DG) of the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), had penciled down some staff for disciplinary action who ‘rebelled’ against him and demanded his sack on October 14.
He did not know that he would not stay long enough to implement his action.
On Tuesday, December 1, he was relieved of his job by Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, in the climax of the standoff with other employees who accused him of highhandedness and mismanagement of funds.
Now in Akinterinwa’s stead as acting DG is Abimbola Dada, his virulent critic who was library director at the height of the protest to get rid of him.
Aborted plan
“I will apply the rules,” Akinterinwa had insisted in an interview with TheNiche on October 15.
“First of all, I will suspend the director of administration and finance because I cannot work with her with such fraudulent disposition. It is not possible.
“Those who are demonstrating, because the strike itself is illegitimate, it is not authorised, that in itself is gross misconduct. It is summary dismissal. They should know.
“You professors are giving instructions to security people. You are the ones they are listening to. I now said okay, all these security people your job ends this weekend. I am having a new set of people as from Monday.
“There is one lady; she is one of the cooks. We have cooks because when our international guests come they provide tea, et cetera. That is what they are employed for. They are four, working in twos as team.
“This cook, I saw her demonstrating, carrying placards against me. And you are a contract employee? She must go.”
Akinterinwa spoke at the peak of the protest for his ouster.
Gathering storm
The protest was triggered by his preference for building a state of the art complex for the NIIA instead of meeting workers’ demand for welfare and funds for research.
On October 14, the staff, including professors, and research fellows, protested with placards demanding Akinterinwa’s sack.
Dada alleged at the time that “Akinterinwa has spent over N200 million on that building, which means he has diverted funds from the library.
“We haven’t bought books in the library in the past four years. He has diverted funds from research. He has diverted funds from training. He has diverted funds from general maintenance.”
Dada said the excessive expenditure on the structure caused hardship to the staff.
“He does not have money to repair busses. He has no money to buy materials for the cleaning of toilets. The ladies’ toilet is the only one working, and when we have a programme here, the place is horrible.
“He puts all the funds in his illegal structure which he does not have approval for. He diverts funds from legitimate objectives.
“If you go to the library, the computers are not working. There is no internet. There is no money to buy diesel for the power generator.
“On some days, we can stay here from morning till about 1pm or 2pm waiting for electricity. The only time you get respite is when there is a programme.”
Protester steps in as acting DG
Onyeama, through the ministry’s permanent secretary, directed Akinterinwa to hand over with immediate effect to the most senior officer in the NIIA who happened to be Dada, the woman who spearheaded the protest that led to his ouster, TheNiche learnt at the weekend.
Akinterinwa said those against him were disgruntled employees and board members who could not have their way with him and thus resorted to blackmail.
“They only wanted promotion, they want to steal. Even the council that is against me, it is because they were not involved in the building,” he alleged.
“I so like this development. It will give room for me to talk about how the council had been giving me different queries, reporting me to Mr. president, et cetera.
“But in my reply, I told them how they destroyed the institute, bringing me down as DG to sit down. All these people will be asking me questions, and they too will be talking.
“They belittle me. Will you stand any previous DG up and be looking to his face? I took everybody as colleagues. All of them are professors; I made them professors. The directors, I appointed them.”
One of the professors who spoke to TheNiche on Thursday, December 3 described Akinterinwa’s removal as the best thing to happen to the NIIA now.
You know why I like Nigerians, they are easily to be fooled. Let’s get somethings straight here, you hear all these accusations and not even the government that claims to be anti corrupt has tried to intervene or investigate. But neither my dad nor my family is ready to start telling the world stories. There are facts about the standard of NIIA prior to his appointment and even after his departure. So my fellow Nigerians, you can write as many blackmail you want, you can lie and be in denial as you want, it does not change the fact that Professor Bola Akinterinwa was an upright, deligent, hardworking and an ambassador of Nigeria. As long as God does not vindicate him, no one can vindicate Bola. Besides Bola has moved on to a higher level in life, why don’t the new DG start acting his job and the so called that Bola didn’t do during his time. Get over it people, you will never find a DG as homely, respectful and upright like my father.
Sayo, it is a pity you don’t know your father. Nigerians can’t be fooled any longer. For your information, your father is among the greatest crook of all the DGs and in fact among the most corrupt,Nigeria has ever produced.
Please See this story about your family,
http://www.thenicheng.com/ex-niia-dgs-wife-others-court-assault/.
How your mother went to her former apartment to start fighting because her husband your father was unceremoniously removed from office as DG of NIIA. Shame on your family.
I worked at NIIA and all that has been said is the truth. You’d come to work and there would be no light except the DG is around or there is a program, once the DG leaves the building or the program ends, they take the light.
They wouldn’t get things for welfare yet spend millions on furniture.
This is definitely good progress. I congratulate the new acting DG
You worked at the niia. Wow. You must have been on 6 years family-problem leave for you not to have seen the progress Bola Akinterinwa made there. Chei. Can beef be this bad. Omg. Sipping my milo
Mr. Miss or Mrs anonymous, let us know your identity. You worked in the NIIA. Pls say the truth because it is the only thing that can set you free. If you were one of those that resumed 10am instead of 8am, the government resumption time, if you were one of those who watched either African Magic, or facebook and Skyping in the office while you should be doing the work that the government was paying you for, you would not see anything good in the changes that was brought to the NIIA. When the DG enforced the law, were staff not complying. Pls if you have retired or are working somewhere else pls do good so that your children will have good things to copy from.
This Dg sounds like a vindictive tyrant. I remember wht niia use to be like in before this guy. It was a wonderful place with gifted research staff and a great library. I was there last year for a program and I was so disappointed. It looked like a local government.
Buhari need to help tht place get back to the prestigious institute it use to be. Shame
Lol
see what happens when wicked people are given power. They do wicked things.
God will help them recover
Is your name really peace? I can bet its not. I’m glad you made that statement because you actually need to recover. If not you will spend eternity in hell
Lol. Liar. Evil worker. You are being used by the devil and you dont even know it. Repent or you get condemned by God. Say the truth or keep shut. The Bible says dont partake of other peoples sin. If other people are saying false things, resist it.
Oh i forgot to remind you liars that his tenure was over. He was not fired. And i am sure you know that already. You cant soil his name. Waste of your energy hunies
You described NIIA as a local government area during the tenure of a focused DG. You could not see beyond your nose or that you mistook somewhere else to be NIIA. You could not see the renovation that took place there, the lift that the DG built, the international standard conference center that the DG built, I advised you to go back there (if you are real) and ask for the permission to see the DGs and council chairman’s befitting offices that he renovated. Be advised also that you should comment on only the things that you are sure of.