NIIA boss, Akinterinwa, condemns protest for his removal

THE Director-General (DG) of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, has regretted the protest by some members of staff of the institute yesterday against his administration, describing it as quite unfortunate.

According to him, there are procedures that must be followed under the new President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

He said: “I will continue to do that. I don’t know of any other way. You are either a scholar or you are not. If they say Akinterinwa must go. They must say why so that my successor will know what was wrong. There is no professorship by intimidation.

“I am saying that if I am dealing with those that have been accused of falsification of examination results, people who removed documents from file, is that why they now say Akinterinwa must go? They have not addressed the issue. Those are the issues.”

Akinterinwa, who noted that he was not fighting any individual but fighting indiscipline in the institute, further said: “I must ensure that the NIIA remains a research institute per excellence and I am providing the infrastructure. If people say buy toilet rolls, buy this and that they don’t constitute priority in the light of how much the government gives.

“When we entered, we used to have 20 researchers. We don’t have more than three or four functional researchers now. We try to reconstitute the place. Head of service gave me permission to recruit 55 people.”

“NIIA suppose to be a leader in Africa. I am putting up a United Nations (UN) standard building where people like journalists don’t have to rush to their offices before they send their messages. It is not just the climate that is changing. We must move with international changes. I must leave the institute better.