Communications Minister, Shittu, resigns to contest Oyo governor - ITREALMS

Exclusive@ITREALMS:

The Minister of Communications, Alhaji Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, has resigned, ITREALMS can authoritatively report.

His letter of resignation, ITREALMS gathered, was received at the Presidency on Monday, August 27, 2018, entitled “Request for Mr. President’s Approval to Contest for the Governorship of Oyo State During the 2019 Gubernatorial Election.”

In his reply Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged the letter same day and thanked him on behalf of the Federal Executive Council and Nigerians for his services as Minister under his administration.

“I note with passion your past contributions to our great party APC during and after the 2015 elections,” he said, in the reply delivered to Shittu's office on Tuesday, 28 August, 2018.

Buhari in a personally signed-response, reminded Shittu of his commitment to free and fair elections.

“Our policy is to support all APC candidates,” he declared.

He further wished Shittu well in his ambition to be the governor of his state, insisting that INEC has been directed alongside security agencies to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in 2019.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Communications Minister applauds NBA for embracing ICT

ITRealms:

The Communications Minister, Barrister Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu has applauded the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for the giant feat of striving to reform the practice of the legal profession leveraging on Information Communication Technology (ICT), reports ITRealms.

Welcoming NBA President, A.B.Mahmoud and his team in his office, the minister expressed delight over the resolve of the Association to engage ICT in refining legal practice, saying advocacy and capacity building are veritable means to make Nigerian lawyers more effective and efficient.

Shittu also pledged to support the forthcoming 2017 NBA National Conference, saying that he will use his good offices to actualize the objective of the conference by encouraging agencies under the supervision of his ministry such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to give logistics support to NBA for the conference.

The minister who promised to attend the conference billed for Lagos between August 18 and 24, 2017, alongside lawyers in the ministry and agencies under him, said he is proud to be one of the 11 versatile lawyers that are current members of the 37 members Federal Executive Council.

The NBA President said the visit was an advocacy one and also to seek support and cooperation for the conference of the minster and agencies under the ministry, stressing that NBA is out to gather necessary support for the success of the conference having contacted the Law Societies of England and South Africa.

This year’s conference, he said focuses on development of institutions of government, considering the various challenges the nation is facing.

Other members in his entourage were; Prof Shehu Musa, Ibrahim Abdullahi, Dafe Akpedeye SAN, Dr. Garba Tetengi SAN and Fatima Batulu Mohammed.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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Communications Minister, Shittu, condoles late Florence Seriki family, ICT community

ITRealms:

The Minister of Communications, Barrister Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu has commiserated with the family of late Mrs. Florence Omatule Seriki, the founder and Group Managing Director (GMD) of Omatek Ventures Plc and the nation’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) community over the sudden death of the frontline indigenous computer manufacturer, reports ITRealms.

The Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Mr. Victor Oluwadamilare, quoted Shittu in a press statement made available to ITRealms, as saying that he received the news of her death with a rude shock, describing late Mrs. Seriki’s demise as an irreparable loss to the Seriki family, the nation’s ICT community and the country at large.

The Minister said that Mrs. Seriki died when the nation most needed her wealth of experience to boost ICT development in the area of manufacturing and assemblage of computers, equipment and accessories.

According to him, her death is a monumental loss to the nation especially at this period that the government is courting the ICT sector as the next mainstay of the economy.

“Honestly speaking, the Nigerian ICT community will greatly miss her considering her huge contributions to the development of computer hardware and accessories. In fact, Mrs. Seriki, a team player, was a front liner who paved the way for other indigenous manufacturers of computers in Nigeria and Africa.

“It is worthy of note that her contributions transcend beyond the shores of Nigeria with a big factory in Ghana, as Omatek brand of computers is an household name in many African countries”.

However, Shittu expressed optimism that her demise will not wane down the growth and influence of the company in ICT development, stressing that “what she lived for should be upheld”.

While the Minister prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased, he prayed God to give the members of her immediate family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Pix: Late Florence Seriki