The Albino Foundation Public Notice
The leadership of the Northern Minority Right group has uncovered plot by some vested interest to instigate an Hobbesian style breakdown of law and order in the National Space Research and Development Agency NARSDA on Monday.
In a statement signed by Bar Liasu Mohammed in Abuja, the group says that, some disgruntled Directors of the agency held a meeting with the former acting Director General of the agency Dr. Francis Chizea Dubem to stage a violent protest at the agency on Monday- as part of a concerted plan to frustrate the appointment of Dr Halilu Shaba who has met all the necessary criteria and adequately vetted by security agencies.
Part of the statement read: it’s unfortunate that Dr. Chizea has Mobilized thugs and militia groups to cause a breakdown of law and order in the space agency environment. The key stone of the plot is to instigate protest, mass action and violence with a view to causing anarchy in the short run and in the long run, to destabilise the ongoing confirmation of Dr. Halilu Shabba by the Senate Committee on Science and Technology. The long time goal is tl embarrass the government of the President Mohamed Buhari and possibly destroy some sensitive equipment that government has invested scarce resource into.
The Northern Minority Right group laments that this appointment that is strictly based on merit and status is being politicized by a man who has become too desperate to understand the law that guides the activities of the research development agency.
Accordingly, these predetermined actions have been designed to take place simultaneously from Monday and throughout the week with the scheduled venue to be the National Assembly complex and the Obasanjo Space Centre, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua express way, Lugbe, Abuja.
According to Bar Liasu, the plan protest is aimed at creating an impression that Dr. Shabba is not a popular choice among the staff of the space agency. In his desperation, Dr. Francis Chizea has gone has far as promising some staff of the agency geometrical promotion and posting into juicy departments. Dr. Chizea also promised some staff studies leave abroad should his sinister motive be actualize.
“Considering the implications of these on public safety and national security, the Northern group wishes to warn Dr. Francis Chizea Dubem and those elements responsible for the plots to desist from their inglorious acts.
“Consequently, the labour union and security men in that agency are advised to rein in their staff and enjoin them not to allow themselves to be used as a pawn in furtherance of personal aspiration.
The group also want to explore this medium to inform the security agencies of their constitutional responsibility to be at alert and ensure a peaceful environment before, during and after the confirmation of Dr Halilu Shaba.
It will be recalled that President Buhari few weeks ago sent the name of Dr Halilu to Senate to be confirmed as the Director General/ CEO of the agency.
Dr. Halilu is one of the most senior directors in the Space Research agency. A graduate of Geography from Bayero University Kano with Masters Degree from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, he obtained his Ph.D. in Remote Sensing from the Federal University of Technology, Minna in 2000.
He started his career as a cartographer at the National Population Commission in 1989, before he returned to the Federal University of Technology, Minna where he was a lecturer and Deputy Dean. He was also Deputy Director Planning and Research at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) before he was appointed Director of Strategic Space Applications at the National Space Research and Development Agency since 2009 before his current appointment.
An expert in Geosciences and Geomatics, specializing in Satellite Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems, Dr. Shaba has been a Member of Nigerian Delegation to United Nations Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS); Joint Expert Group (JEG8) on the implementation of an integrated AU-EU Joint Strategy under the 8th Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space; Extended Coordinating Team of Global Monitoring of the Environment & Africa (GMES & Africa); and Executive Committee Member & GEO Principal for Nigeria, Group on Earth Observation (GEO), Geneva, Switzerland.
