Photos: Female Staff of Federal government agency in Oyo protest topless, demand removal of their Executive director

Female staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, threw caution to the winds this morning and staged a semi-nude protest against the Executive Director of the agency, Professor Malachy O. Akoroda over what they termed his maladministration of the agency.

The staff are accusing their executive director of engaging in white elephant jobs & mismanagement of funds.

The female staff members in company of their male colleagues who did not remove their clothes, barricaded the entrance to the institute with heaps of sand.

A petition letter jointly written and signed by the Chief Yekeen Ogunyode, the Baale of Odo Onanla the host community and one Solomon Adebiyo read

"Letters have been sent to the President Federal Republic of Nigeria and Federal House of Representatives regarding the lingering crisis in CRIN. In addition numerous petitions have been sent to the ICPC, the EFCC, the Auditor General, and Accountant General of the Federation concerning the mismanagement of funds through white elephant projects at the expense of research by Professor Akoroda.” The workers alleged that Professor Akoroda use his influence to engage the security services to intimidate, harass, and victimize all those involved in the struggle to expose his maladministration through the issuance of queries, endless warnings, open confrontations and many more. Chief Ogunyode and other community leaders informed journalists during the protest that they identify with the plight of the workers and demand for the removal of Professor Akoroda “We the Community Leaders have made several attempt to ensure this matter is settled, but Professor Akoroda will not listen. We cannot continue to fold our arms and watch this institute rot away or have our land taken away, most of our people are here. We want peace and I think peace cannot return to this place until Professor Akoroda is removed"he said

Professor Akoroda has not reacted to the strike action or allegations leveled against him