The Joint Unions of the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research have attributed the slowdown in research activities at the institute to delays in the release of capital funds, while dismissing allegations that hundreds of staff members are idle.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at the institute’s headquarters in Kaduna, the unions said recent claims portraying over 900 workers as unproductive were inaccurate and intended to damage the agency’s reputation.
The Joint Chairman of the unions, Dr Umar Musa, criticised a recent media report for lacking balance, noting that the institute was not contacted for its response before publication.
“The report is one-sided and was published without seeking the institute’s response for validation. This contradicts the ethics of journalism,” Musa said.
He explained that although some research projects—particularly those requiring fieldwork and heavy capital investment—had slowed down, the situation was largely due to delays in government funding for the 2025 fiscal year.
“There has been a significant delay in the release of capital funds required for the implementation of approved projects, including field research. This has affected the scale and pace of our work,” he stated.
Despite these challenges, Musa maintained that staff members have remained committed, continuing to support donor-funded initiatives and collaborative research while sustaining core institutional responsibilities.
“Our staff have demonstrated professionalism by keeping essential functions running and supporting ongoing collaborations,” he added.
The unions also addressed allegations of financial mismanagement involving the institute’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr J.J. Ajakaiye, stating that the matter is currently under investigation by anti-corruption agencies.
“The allegations are before the relevant agencies. It is important that due process is allowed to take its course without interference or premature conclusions,” Musa said.
On claims of staff intimidation by security operatives, the unions clarified that the affected officer had been officially redeployed to another zonal office in line with public service regulations.
“The officer was redeployed through due process and has since handed over. Her presence in Kaduna is solely in response to an invitation by investigators,” he explained.
They further refuted allegations of irregular recruitment, insisting that no such exercise had taken place.
“It is too early in the year to begin any recruitment process. Our focus remains on research and development,” Musa said.
The unions reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to tackling neglected tropical diseases, including sleeping sickness and river blindness, noting that field operations are ongoing in several states.
They also urged the public to disregard what they described as misleading reports and called on the media to uphold professional standards by ensuring fairness and verification in their reporting.
