Workers at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) in Ilorin on Monday staged a total shutdown of the institute in protest against the reappointment of Comrade Issa Aremu as Director-General.
The angry staff, acting under the backing of three major unions, insist the reappointment ignored multiple petitions detailing alleged financial misconduct, abuse of office, and toxic leadership under Aremu’s first tenure.
The protest, which grounded activities at the institute’s Ganmo campus, was also fueled by reported irregularities in the dispatch of the DG’s appointment letter.
Workers allege that the letter was routed through the Office of the Minister of Labour instead of the statutory Minister of State for Labour (Labour II), under whom the institute falls—an action they believe was meant to sidestep a negative report from that office.
Union leaders say Aremu’s return signals disregard for due process and staff welfare.
The workers accuse him of running MINILS like a personal fiefdom, citing 18 unresolved allegations including financial impropriety, absentee leadership, and diversion of public funds.
They claim he spent minimal time at the Ilorin office while collecting full allowances and failed to produce audited financial statements for three years.
Beyond financial concerns, the work atmosphere is described as toxic.
Aremu is accused of verbal abuse, bullying, and sidelining staff in decision-making.
Alleged cosmetic projects like digital library automation and overhyped public ceremonies, they say, serve more for media attention than institutional growth.
Efforts to get official response from institute management failed, as most senior staff were reportedly locked out of the premises and unwilling to comment.
Comrade Aremu is said to be out of the country and could not be reached for a response.
The protesting workers are now calling on President Bola Tinubu and the Ministry of Labour to immediately reverse Aremu’s reappointment and appoint a more qualified candidate familiar with the institute’s mandate.
