…As Union laments 8% fund release
President Mohammadu Buhari has approved another tenure extension for the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Haruna for another two years.
This follows the expiration of his tenure this week after the successful completion of his second tenure of five years each.
Rising from day one of its joint congress held at the agency headquarters, Abuja, the Staff Unions of NASENI, commended the Federal government for the decision to extend by two years the tenure of the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Prof Mohammed Haruna.
The Union includes: the
Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions (NASU), and Technical Staff Association of NASENI (TSAN).
Addressing the press, the TSAN President Com. Engr. Oluwaseyi Ogungbenro and NASU Coordinator, Engr. Tijani Wakili, said that the tenure extension for NASENI boss by the government will no doubt help to consolidate various ongoing federal government interventions through NASENI in the various sectors of the economy such as Agriculture, Power, Youth Empowerment, Aviation, Security and Transportation.
According to them, NASENI under the watch of Prof Mohammed Haruna “has demonstrated uncommon capacity in utilising Science and technology to turn around the fortunes of the nation through its various programs, interventions, research output, technology transfer, collaborations, reverse engineering and much more.”
“The Unions received with great delight, the decision of the federal government of Nigeria to extend by two years the tenure of our indefatigable, Pragmatic, Productive, Industrious and dynamic Executive Vice Chairman, Prof M.S. Haruna pre.
“This move will federal government interventions through NASENI in the various sectors of economy such as Agriculture, Power, Youth Empowerment, Aviation, Security and Transportation to mention a few.
“NASENI under the watch of Prof Mohammed Haruna has demonstrated uncommon capacity in utilising Science and technology to turn around the fortunes of the nation through its various programs, interventions, research output, technology transfer, collaborations, reverse engineering and much more,” the union said.
They contended that the further years granted Prof Haruna, will help to ensure Nigeria attains self sufficient in food security, stand out in home grown technology in weapon production, develop first ever aircraft in West Africa, Develop capacity for solar cell production, finish the production line for home grown transformer production and ensure agricultural and industrial tools manufacturing for food safety and industrial revolution etc.
“All these and other ongoing programs of the agency birthed by this great technocrat will definitely turn around the economy of this great country in the nearest months.
“It is therefore the smartest move by his Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari to grant Prof Haruna tenure extension to help the incoming government and Nigerian economy.
“The Unions therefore thanked the President for the political will to reposition NASENI under the presidency and implement NASENI act as regards its funding.”
In a another development, however, the union noted that the agency till now had received only 8%of its 2022 budget approved for its operation and called for full release of the remaining budget to enable it achieve its set goals.
“It will interest you to know NASENI has only been able to access 8% of the funds approved by the National Assembly and signed by the President.
“If NASENI has been able to do so much in one year with 8%, one can only imagine what NASENI will achieve if granted access to 100% of its approved funding.”
They therefore appealed to relevant authorities to ensure the release of the remaining funding without further delay because NASENI remains the economical and technological solution for the myriad of problems confronting this great nation.
“The advanced nations of the world are where they are today in their military might and competitive economy mainly because of the robust spending on science and technology.
“This we cannot shy away from if we must surmount our problems and grow our economy.”
The union also used the medium to call on all responsible for ensuring new salary structure for NASENI to expedite action to further motivate NASENI workforce who now works round the clock to reposition the agency.
“Working under Prof M.S Haruna has made the staffers of the agency work 24hours a day so as to ensure the country is technologically turned around to meeting its various challenges and solve its economic problems. There is no better motivation to workers than effective and adequate wages.
Vanguard