Hundreds of workers at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, (CRIN), Ibadan on Tuesday barricaded the entrance of the institute to protest the immediate sack of the Executive Director of CRIN, Professor Malachi Akoroda over what they described as "non-Performance and lack of administrative potential."

The protest which started around 8:00am, saw the aggrieved workers, rendering union slogans, accusing the CRIN director of insensitivity, while visitors to the institute were turned back.At exactly 3:05pm, the governing board members led by its chairman, Chief Francis Fadahunsi were locked out at the gate, while all their appeals to gain entry to settle their grievances fell on deaf ears.

The Joint Research and Allied Institutions Sector Union urged the Federal Government to remove Professor Akoroda immediately in the interest of peace and progress of the institute.

The Chairman, Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutes,(SSATHURIAI), CRIN branch, Mr Idowu Ogunbosoye, who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved workers,  alleged that since July 26, the executive director had been giving the workers problem.

He added that Professor Akoroda lacks CRIN's administrative skill and had been mismanaging the funds meant for research at the institute.“For the sake of harmony and relevance of CRIN to the transformation agenda of the Federal Government, we demand that Prof Akoroda should be removed immediately because he does not have the welfare and promotion of the institute at heart, and we want the minister to use his good office to accede to our request,” the union boss said.

Ogunbosoye stated that his appointment over the last one year had stalled the smooth running of the activities of the institute as well as stir confusion and conflict. He opined that the appointment of a new director should be made from within and preferably the most senior director in the institute.

Also, the Vice-Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions(ASURI), CRIN branch, alleged that Prof Akoroda was illegally transferring the genetic materials of the institute to University of Ibadan and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) without the knowledge of the workers.

Addressing the protesting workers, the Chairman of the board, Chief Francis Fadahunsi appealed to the workers to be calm, noting that they are not happy with the situation of things at the institute.