*Urge him to make institute envy of research institutes in Nigeria
*Tell Buhari, Minister to ignore his critics
By; ISAAC ODEH, Kaduna
The Joint Union Action Committee of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), has hailed the Director General, Professor Zachariah B. Yaduma for what they described as innovative leadership that has motivated and inspired staff of the institute.
They expressed this at a press briefing held on Saturday May 20, 2023, at Kaduna , with the text read by Chairman, Joint Action Committee, Comrade Isaac J. Maisamari.
“We are confident, based on the evidence of the work the new Director General has done so far, the hope he has rekindled among staff, the renewed motivation his leadership style and personality brings, that after his tenure, the history of FRIN will be in two halves, FRIN before the coming of Associate Professor Zachariah B Yaduma and FRIN from the time of Associate Professor Zacharia B. Yaduma,” the joint union said.
According to them, “God bless you if you are still alive then, you will testify that FRIN from the time of Associate Professor Zachariah B Yaduma will be greater, more honourable, more productive, than FRIN before him.
Finally, on behalf of all the Staff and Unions in FRIN and her Colleges, we congratulate the game-changing Director General and wish him a successful and productive tenure.
From the text of the briefing titled, “IT IS A NEW DAWN IN FRIN AND WE ARE BLESSED TO WITNESS IT” the Joint Union Action Committee said that it was held in support of the laudable appointment of Associate Professor Zachariah B. Yaduma as Director General / Chief Executive Officer of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN).
“We invited you to this press conference today to share with you, our colleagues in FRIN and Colleges and thus the whole world, the good news that a breath of fresh air is blowing across the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, FRIN.
“You would recall that on April 1st 2023, Dr Zachariah B. Yaduma was appointed and two days after, he assumed office as the second Director General of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), after the pioneer DG, Professor Adeshola Adepoju.
“For the records, Dr Zachariah B Yaduma is an Associate Professor of Ecosystem Management (Wildlife Conservation and Management). For his education, he obtained a National Diploma (ND) in Forestry, at the Federal College of Forestry, Ibadan, in 1985. he did not stop there,” they recalled.
According to them, he went on to obtain a Bachelor of Technology in Forestry and Wildlife Management in the year 1997, at the Federal University of Technology, Yola, followed by Masters of Science (M.Sc) in Ecosystem Management (Wildlife Conservation and Management), in 2002 and then to crown it all, a PhD in the same course, the same university, ten years later (2012).
“There is no question that the new Director General is an eminently qualified Academic and Researcher with many years of experience both in the academia and ministry. He is level-headed, unassuming, God-fearing and a detribalized visionary.
“He worked in the Ministry of Agriculture, Yola, from 1991 to 2004, Asmau Farms Nigeria LTD, 2004 to 2009, then Ministry of Environment, Yola, from 2009 to 2014, and afterwards he transferred his services to Modibo Adama University of Technology, MAUTech, Yola, where he was imparting knowledge to both undergraduate and post graduate students at all levels and impacting lives, until his appointment as Director General on 1st April, 2023. No doubt, this man is a round peg in a round hole.
“It may interest you to know that in his less than 2 months in office, he has since toured round most of the Colleges and outstations of the institute and wherever he went, he gave hope to the staff who chanted “Light has come” in his support.
“From every indication, Associate Professor Yaduma is a man with the vision that FRIN needs dearly at this point in her history. For instance, when he visited Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, the kind of radiant faces that resonated that day moved many to tears of joy,” they noted.
They said that it was the topic of conversation for more than a week at the college, the fact that there is a new dawn with a lot of promise.
“Scripture is clear, “when the righteous are in power, the people rejoice”.
“According to a quote in the Soldier’s Handbook, “No man is a leader until he is ratified in the minds and hearts of his men.”
“On the evidence of what was witnessed across FRIN Colleges and Outstations during the tour by the Director General, we make bold to say that he is ratified, through and through, in the hearts and minds of men and women of FRIN. If you find an exception, it is on account of resistance to change not on account of a lack of promise of a better and brighter future in FRIN which the new Director General brings with him, and even symbolizes.
“Presently, the spirit of the average FRIN staff is high, readiness and motivation to work under the new, God-sent Director General, is there for everyone to see,” they pointed out.
Therefore, they categorically and unequivocally threw their weight behind him and urged him to ignore all distractions and focus on seeing through his laudable vision of making FRIN the envy of research institutes in Nigeria. With the help of God, we look forward to working side by side with him for the common good of FRIN and its colleges.
“At this juncture, we urge Mr President and the Honourable Minister of Environment to ignore all calls against the newly appointed Director General.
“His appointment will be fondly remembered for decades to come by staff of FRIN as the best gift of the Buhari-administration to us. We likewise enjoin the Leadership of the National Assembly (both Senate and the people’s parliament, the House of Representatives) to dismiss all calls against his appointment.
“We extend the same appeal to the incoming administration and the 10th National Assembly. We can now breathe, please do not take the oxygen away.
“Fellow staff of FRIN, for too long we cried for a day on which we would have a Director General who has our welfare at heart, both for those alive and those who die in service – since everyone must one day honour the appointment with death, and today God has answered our prayers by sending Associate Professor Zachariah B Yaduma, whose three key concerns are WELFARE, WELFARE, and WELFARE.
“Unless our prayers in the past were hypocritical and dishonest, what we need do now is to unite and give the new Director General a chance, then back our support with both prayers and useful counsel for him to succeed. If he succeeds, we succeed.
“If, however, we focus on the minor issues and pull him down, his failure will be upon us. There is no success without unity, unity is strength, division is weakness. Remember, according to J.K. Rowling, “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” The joint union advised.
