WORKERS of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday shut down the institute over the reappointment of Comrade Issa Aremu as their Director-General and Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO).
The protest was said to have erupted following news that Comrade Aremu had been issued with an appointment letter.
According to the workers, the letter reappointing Comrade Aremu 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.
Efforts to speak with Comrade Aremu on this failed as calls to his mobile number did not go through as at press time.
Media reports indicate that personnel of the Kwara State Police arrested some of the protesting workers early in the morning when they locked had locked down the Institute and grounded all activities.
The Guardian reports that the workers, acting under the directive of the three in-house unions, insisted that the reappointment ignored multiple petitions alleging financial misconduct, abuse of office, and poor leadership during Aremu’s first tenure.
The Unions’ Protest Letter
The three in-houseunions, under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), had vehemently opposed the reappointment of Comrade Aremu as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO) of the institute.
The unions had between April and May 2025 written petitions to the Ministry of Labour and Employment and levelled several allegations including financial misconduct and staff victimization, amongst others.
Several media sources over the past couple of weeks reported the reappointment of Comrade Aremu for a second term as DG/CEO of MINILS.
Following this, the JAC had in a protest letter, dated June 2, 2025, and delivered the following day, alleging, among other things that there was no such reappointment.
In the strongly worded protest letter addressed to the Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment, the staff unions — comprising the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes, and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRAI), and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) — accused Aremu of attempting to force his way back into office despite the expiration of his tenure on May 17, 2025.
Copies of the protest letter, obtained by National Record, were also sent to the Presidency, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, security agencies in Kwara State, underscoring the urgency of the matter and national secretariats of their various unions.
Allegations of Mismanagement and Impunity
The unions, in the letter signed by Ruth I. Ejechi, ASURI Chairman, Idris D. Abdulmajeed, SSA Chairman, and Joel Afolayan, NASU Chairman, also alleged cases of financial misappropriation, administrative high-handedness, and alleged inhuman treatment of staff under Aremu’s previous tenure.
They expressed dismay over what they termed a “malicious media blitz” by Aremu aimed at misleading the public and pressuring the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment into reappointing him.
Of particular concern, JAC alleged, is Aremu’s continued use of the institute’s official vehicle registration number (FG F12-F08) on his private car, despite no official directive authorizing his continued role. The unions described this as “the peak of impunity,” warning that such actions could tarnish the integrity of the institute and the ministry.
Security Concerns and Ethnic Tensions
The JAC further accused Aremu of mobilizing security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service (SSS), against staff members while allegedly inciting ethnic and religious divisions within the institute.
The unions urged the government to place Aremu under security watch, labelling him a potential threat to peace in Kwara State and Nigeria at large.
Key Demands
The JAC presented five key demand which include:
- That the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment should issue an official confirmation of Aremu’s exit via a formal statement clarifying that Aremu’s tenure has ended and authorize the handover of power to the appropriate officer;
- That Aremu should cease parading himself as DG/CEO of MINILS;
- That Aremu must surrender all MINILS assets in his possession, including the official vehicle plate number;
- That authorities should investigate his alleged incitement of security agencies and ethnic tensions, and;
- That the government should reject any move to reinstate Aremu as DG/CEO of MINILS.
The unions warned that failure to address their grievances could plunge MINILS into anarchy, undermining its reputation as Nigeria’s foremost labour institute.
As of press time, neither the Federal Ministry of Labour nor Mr. Aremu has issued an official response. Observers await government action to resolve the escalating crisis.
