The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna, has been ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari to hand over his office to the next most senior officer in the establishment.
This was due to the fact that Prof. Haruna had completed two tenures of five years each in the organization, prompting the President to reverse the extension of his office from 2nd April, 2023 to 2nd of April, 2025.
However, a crisis of leadership has erupted over the choice of successor, as Managing Director of one of its subsidiaries – Hydraulic Equipment Development Institute (HEDI) Kano, Engr. Prof. Ibrahim Onuwe Abdulmalik, has protested against the purported handover to Mrs. Nonyem Onyechi.
In a letter of protest to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Prof. Abdulmalik argued that Mrs. Onyechi’s appointment is a violation of all known norms in the public service, as she has attained the retirement age of 60 years on 26th November 2022 and only remains in NASENI as a political appointee of the President alongside four other candidates.
Prof. Abdulmalik further argued that the most senior director in NASENI should be limited to regular career officers in NASENI System, such as directors in NASENI Headquarters/Institutes and directors that were appointed from Headquarters/Institute to become Coordinating Directors or Managing Directors and still function within their career service age, not new political appointees.
He also stated that the new political appointees from outside NASENI system cannot claim seniority of directors, especially the coordinating directors that were appointed all on the same day by the President as principal officers.
He called on the SGF to intervene and right the wrong in the leadership process of the agency.
