NAN Report

By Sani Idris

A Coalition of Northern Civil Society Organizations, has eulogised Prof. Jeffrey Barminas, the Director-General of the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria, on his developmental and transformational overhaul in the Institute.

Addressing pressmen on Tuesday in Kaduna, the Convener of the coalition, Cmrd. Zubairu Mukthar, said NARICT under the leadership of Prof. Jeffrey has recorded several developmental and transformational overhaul which included a landmark achievement in research and innovation that were relevant in National security.

He said the research and innovation aspect leads the line in the overall chemical technology advancement in Nigeria, especially in developing indigenous capacity to detect, foil or mitigate nuclear, biological and radiological attacks on Nigerian.

"The newly constructed NARICT Nuclear, Biological and Radiological De-contamination Laboratories are therefore fitted to treat victims of nuclear, biological and radiological attacks in Nigeria," he said.

Mukthar added that a surfeit of phenornenal infrastructural expansion was also recorded in the past two years at NARICT, which has seen to rapid transformations of the Institute's landscape based on its original master plan as more laboratories and related infrastructure including roads, waters supply system, power line, among others were built and are still under construction to support research.

"Of great note are the 30-million volume E-Granary Library, salt utilization and adhesive pilot plants (to support the Nigerian leather and fine chemicals industries and maggot-processingot plant (for the poultry industries) on a national scale.

"Infrastructural development was also extended to the establishment of NARICT outstations in the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria to cascade research solutions to industries and the grassroots nationwide.

"These developments have led to a substantial increase in research capacity/expertise and proliferation in NARICT's collaboration with agencies,centres and Universities in Nigeria and globally," Mukthar said.

He further said that Prof. Barminas had immensely improved his staff motivation and capacity building was vigorously pursued in the period under scrutiny through a comprehensive overhaul of the Institute's management organogram, clearance of decade long outstanding promotion exercises.

He noted that it had served in re-motivating a deflated Members of Staff which the DG met on assumption of office in 2017.

Mukthar also that noted NARICT, under Prof. Barminas had broken new grounds in chemical research technologies over the years and continued to do.

"Doubtless, NARICT has been re-installed on the path of nation-bulding for susininable indigenous capacity and competence in cutting-edge chemical inventions and technology upscale, regional spread and national uptake in Nigeria".

"There has been a surfeit of phenomenal feats recorded in NARICT under the stewardship of Prof. Barminas, they have seen to a rapid transformation of the Institute's research capacity and expertise in chemical technology in line with its founding mandate,"Mukthar said.

He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari who appointed Prof.Barminas of as the Director General of NARICT.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that some of the technological achievements recorded by Prof. Barminas included multifunctional pyrolysis rector, NARICT decontamination laboratories, utilization of Indigenous technologies in salt production, intermediate chemicals and electrolysis of brine for production of chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide, among others (NAN)

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PDP crisis deepens as Wike reportedly refuses to meet Atiku's emissaries

BAYO WAHAB

July 5, 2022 6:23 AM

A source close to Wike says Atiku has sent some people to beg the governor.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Nyesom Wike. (DailyPost)

The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues to degenerate as Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is reportedly not willing to meet with the committee set up to resolve the crisis.

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Since the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar picked Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate last month, the PDP has been a divided house.

Atiku was said to have rejected Wike as his running mate, despite his recommendation by a 17-man committee set up by the party.

Following Okowa’s emergence as the PDP Vice Presidential candidate, some Wike loyalists dumped the party.

And in a bid to pacify Wike and his followers, the opposition party recently set up a nine-member committee to resolve the lingering crisis, but the Rivers state governor is reportedly not willing to meet the committee.

Also, his continuous silence over the crisis unsettles the party as nobody in the party knows his next move.

Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel Ortom of Benue and former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose are believed to be Wike allies.

Some of the party leaders like Fayose and Ortom had recently expressed their displeasure over the emergence of Atiku and Okowa as the party’s flag bearers for the 2023 presidential elections.

Criticising the party on Twitter, Fayose recently opposed the PDP, insisting that power must return to the South in 2023.

Also, Governor Ortom during his interview on Arise TV said he had not made up his mind to support Atiku. He also called out the PDP for allegedly betraying Wike.

It would be recalled that in 2021, Southern Governors reached an agreement that power just shift to their region in 2023.

The governors vowed to oppose any political party that presents a northerner as its presidential candidate.

Despite the clamour for power to return to the south, the PDP decided to throw its presidential ticket open to aspirants from all regions, and Atiku, a northerner emerged as the party’s presidential candidate.

Wike came second in the primary election that produced Atiku as the PDP flagbearer.

Speaking on the crisis, a PDP chieftain in Rivers State told Daily Trust that Atiku would be paid back in his own coin, adding that the people of the state won’t support him in the forthcoming election.

“As far as I’m concerned, there is no way we in Rivers State will support Atiku. He disappointed us and we will not support him. You cannot toy with our leader and go free. We will take a decisive decision on this matter and it will be far-reaching,” the chieftain who spoke anonymously said.

Another source said Atiku has sent some people to appeal to Wike not to leave the PDP, but the governor is currently weighing all the options available to him.