Good night, Flo! A forerunner amazon

Tribute@ITRealms:

Good night to a most indefatigable woman! An Amazon, my boss, my friend and my sister, your words were your bond, you were bold and fearless. You broke barriers. ‘No’ was not an answer, there was nothing like a shut door, just like nothing was impossible to achieve. You were a pioneer and a path finder. You were indeed a warrior, a colossus! You were a dynamite, small in stature but of great influence, ability and capability. You were an institution and so many people learnt from you. I did.

You were a blessing to Nigeria and Africa; you were at the forefront of the propagation of IT (especially hardware) not only in Nigeria, but Africa. We went all over Africa together; from Tunisia to South Africa, from Kenya to Ghana, looking to catch on great opportunities in the industry. In Nigeria, we went round the country, all the states and all tertiary institutions. We had dealings with all the federal and state governments.

You were a forerunner! While paperless office was yet alien to the Nigerian business environment, our Group had started running on that platform. I could be in Asia and access files, work on them and approve where necessary, right on my phone.

I am very sure the factories of Asia will not forget you so soon, you were constantly challenging them. As I write this tribute, many of your associates in Singapore, China and Hong Kong are in a state of shock.

You once asked me to see how we could lower the cost of our parts for the desktops. So, three of us left for China. We had asked the Chinese if we could convert desktop speaker power source from A/C to USB and were told that was not possible at that time. Driven by your never-say-nay spirit, our engineers said we could achieve it. They went to work. Bingo! We achieved it and thereby reduced the cost of our parts. I will never forget how elated you were when I called you on phone and most importantly the words of appreciation, reward and praises for the engineers.

You were tireless! We would fly into Asia for almost 48 hours, and head straight into meetings from the airport. Tiredness or fatigue never stopped you. That got the company to great heights. Our brand was celebrated!

You were a maverick. I will never forget the day we were walking to a meeting on Admiralty Road, Lekki, Lagos and you suddenly pulled me back and you said, "Yomi, let’s go to the market"! Was I not taken aback? I asked you if you felt we were ready for that. In your usual confident way, you said yes, and it was the best time for us to do so. The rest became history.

You were a highly regarded entrepreneur and industrialist, who pioneered the manufacturing and assembling of computers and other devices, not only in Nigeria but across West Africa. Out of a few other OEMs in Nigeria, you were the only woman and it remained so till you departed.

I vividly recollect when you decided it was time to venture into Ghana. We went into Ghana to survey the market; you had set up meetings with the relevant Ministers. After listening to you, it was no surprise that the Ghanaian government gave a nod to your plan to put up a computer factory in that country.

You had a knack for excellence; you were diligent, determined and highly focused. Once you set your goals and priorities, there was no looking back. Often I wondered where you got the energy from. You were able to manage the home front as well as the business front, despite the enormous challenges of both.

After one of those high-level meetings in Abuja, you had announced to a Minister that you were pregnant. He offered his congratulation and then asked you jokingly if despite all your tight business schedule, you still had time to play in the “other room”! You belonged not only to the room at the office, but also to the “other room” at home and that only attested to your ability to manage both rooms very effectively.

You were so passionate about computers and the brand Omatek that you defied every odd to establish factories in and out of Nigeria. Through so many of your original initiatives, we were able to make computers available to civil servants, educational institutions, homes and other individuals. A lot of these beneficiaries did not have to pay once as we were able to amortise for them.

You exuded abundant joy the day we computerised Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Because of our other schedules in Lagos, we arrived the university at about 6pm, the whole auditorium was filled to the brim with the community waiting for the delivery of their computers. The highpoint of that outing for me was that, when you were asked to deliver a speech, you bluntly refused and asked that I be given the microphone. You never saw yourself as “the Boss”.

I thank you for the opportunities you gave me to represent you at so many fora. I sat in your place on the National Identity Card Committee, right from the first minute till we submitted our report to Mr. President. The result of the work we did is what gave birth to the National Identity Card Commission.

I will never forget a day at the International Airport, Lagos. We were to travel to India, and your husband said to me: "Yomi, am happy you are going. I have confidence in you. Take care of my wife and slow Florence down. She works too hard!" But how do I slow down a woman who climbed the stairs to the 14th floor of the WAEC office for us to seal a deal, two days to when she had a baby?

We were to have a meeting a few weeks ago on a new project, but you shifted the appointment and I became a bit busy too. When I saw your text message some weeks back, I became unusually lackadaisical about replying, little did I know it would be the last contact from you.

You lived a very short but impact full life, so much that am yet to come to terms with the reality of your demise.

You were a Fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and also a Fellow of the Nigeria Society of Chemical Engineers. You had countless local and international awards. You were a developer of women and the youths in ICT. Nigeria appreciated you, you were an MFR.

You left your foot print and legacies, and they will be indelible.

May the Lord console your aged mother, your husband and children, your siblings and the entire family.

*Yomi Soyinka, was Group General Manager of Omatek Computers

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Pix: Late Florence Seriki and Yomi Soyinka

Omatek founder & ICT amazon, Florence Seriki is dead

BreakingNews@ITRealms:

The founding group managing director and chief executive officer, Omatek Ventue Plc, Mrs. Florence Seriki is dead, reports ITRealms.

According to some close friends of Engineer, Mrs. Seriki, popularly known as the IT Amazon, died on Friday, March 3, 2017 after a protracted illness at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Former chief marketing manager at Omatek Ventures Plc, Mr. Biyi Fashoyin, confirmed this on Sunday.

ITRealms gathered that late Mrs Seriki may have died of cancer after a long battle.

Until her death, Mrs. Seriki was the president of Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) and a member of Exco of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and multiple award winner in the industry for her entrepreneurial prowess, especially as a foremost female entrepreneur within the Information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Nigeria.

Late Mrs. Seriki, ITRealms also reports was a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, Nigerian Computers Society (NCS) and the Institute of Directors to name a few.

She was a graduate of University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) with Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.

Late Florence Seriki founded Omatek Ventures Plc over 25 years ago, after she commenced one-on-one computer training for executives within the banking and oil sectors to lay foundation for the establishment of Omatek Ventures Plc.

She was a recipient of one of Nigeria’s highest national honours; thus she is a Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) in recognition of her selfless service to her Motherland among others.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Exclusive! ITAN on WITSA: Olufuye says approach unpatriotic, advises Seriki to focus on lifting ITAN

Dr. Jimson Olufuye

The immediate past president of the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN), Dr. Jimson Olufuye, has responded to the announcement of his sack from the board of World IT Service Alliance (WITSA) among other allegations by the new leadership of the association, describing it as unpatriotic and lacks decorum.

Reacting exclusively to ITRealms Online soon after the announcement ITAN’s The new National Executive Council (NEC) of ITAN led by Mrs. Florence Seriki declared him sacked from WITSA board as its vice chairman and attendant allegations, Dr. Olufuye, said he is not in contention to hands-off WITSA as he has done Nigeria proud to have pioneered since 2008 on voluntary basis.

He cautioned the current leadership of ITAN led by Mrs. Florence Seriki, to concentrate on building upon the foundations already laid, rather than destroying what have been built.

He also described the steps taken so far by the present leadership of ITAN as unpatriotic and reactionary, which depicts lack of respect, decorum, civility and vision on the part of the current leadership.

On AfICTA, Dr. Olufuye refuted the claims that ITAN never agreed to be part of the alliance, saying “AfICTA was part of a grand plan to reposition Africa in the global ICT ecosystem just as my colleagues and I, had the privilege to so reposition ITAN itself like never before.”

He emphasised the resolve to relinquish the role at WITSA, saying “I'm not being paid to be Vice-Chair 

of WITSA, it is a voluntary service for which I had the honour of doing Nigeria proud having pioneered Nigeria's membership in 2008. I'm very much disposed to relinguishing that role even though I'm hearing this from you. However, courtesy demands that she communicates with me on her decision which she did not.”

Olufuye further advised Mrs. Seriki’s leadership in ITAN to focus on how to make progress and take the association to the next level.

“I've served my term so I'm not in any competition. She would do the industry well if she concentrate on progress by building on what has been built rather than pulling what has been built down,” he counseled.

Remmy Nweke

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Breaking News! ITAN sacks Olufuye from WITSA board

Dr. Olufuye, former ITAN president

… Hosts Johnson to stakeholders’ dinner, harmonises with NCS

Mrs Seriki, ITAN current president

The last may not have been heard of the controversy between the immediate past leadership of the Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria (ITAN) led by Dr. Jimson Olufuye and the current president, Mrs. Florence Seriki, which has led to Olufuye’s sack from the board of World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) as its vice chairman.

This is coming as ITAN’s National Executive Committee (NEC) rose from a meeting on at the weekend to distance ITAN from a newly formed African ICT Alliance (AFICTA) by Olufuye.

Also, the association has planned to host the Communications Technology minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson to a stakeholders’ dinner on Friday, June 6, 2012.

These developments came as ITAN members would now have mandatory registration with the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), while retaining their corporate membership of ITAN.

The new National Executive Council (NEC) of ITAN led by Mrs. Florence Seriki made these disclosures at the weekend, says the Minister would be hosted at an event tagged ‘Roundtable Meeting and Dinner’ at Golden Gate, Ikoyi-Lagos.

According to Mrs. Seriki in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online, the event would deliberate on all IT critical issues with key government officials as they effect the sector.

She also said, the event is heralds efforts to clean up ITAN and work with other professional groups to advance the cause of the industry.

Seriki said, ITAN has formally harmonized as an industry group with the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and the remaining IT industry stakeholders, stressing that the harmonization represents a major lift for IT practitioners and ends over a decade strictures between ITAN, NCS and Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON).

“This will enable the entire industry to speak with one voice from now,” she said.

Seriki explained that the harmonization is the outcome of the work of a ‘Special Committee on Harmonisation’ comprising of the Presidents of NCS, ITAN, ISPON and CPN; where the decision to harmonize the workings of these organisations were passed and approved.

“All the recommendations of this Committee to harmonise the industry was adopted and passed. Henceforth all IT practitioners in the industry will register with NCS as individual members. Whilst they register their companies with any of the industrial groups like ITAN, ISPON among others,” she said.

ITAN notes that the industry would definitely speak as one voice as all the representatives of each industrial group will be at the NEC of NCS and College of Fellows.

“Issues relating to hardware will henceforth be referred to ITAN while issues relating to software be referred to ISPON and etcetera,” she said, adding that by implication, only companies duly registered with one of the industrial groups within the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and with its Chief Executive Officer and one key staff being individual members of the NCS could apply for tenders issued by federal, state, corporate organisations and parastatals.

ITAN NEC also announces the relieve of its immediate past president, Dr. Jimson Olufuye of his position as ITAN’s representative on the board of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) in a move designed to reposition ITAN, restore accountability and transparency.

ITAN will therefore be represented on the WITSA's board by Mrs. Seriki or any of her representatives in her capacity as ITAN’s president.

“Olufuye ceases to represent ITAN on the WITSA board with immediate effect and before the completion of his tenure by October 2012, Also, the removal of its Chief Executive Officer, Mr  Olu Joseph was also announced as his new position had been earlier circulated,” the NEC stated in the press statement.

The new ITAN leadership, which has since clarified that the ‘Association’ is a Limited Liability organisation by guarantee, is not bound by any constitution but by the Association Memo and Articles.

This ends controversies stirred by its former executives that ITAN is an association bound to a constitution.

The new executive has since rectified and obtained the new certificate of Incorporation, C02, C07, from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registry.   

Further, ITAN president noted that the raging controversy over accountability and allegations of illegal bank withdrawal relating to the immediate past president, Dr. Olufuye, she responded that the new NEC had subjected the last three years to a re-audit by a new auditor and the issue of illegal withdrawal by Dr Olufuye even after he ceased to be ITAN’s president were “issues already under investigation.”

“We have a new ITAN in place that is able to fully represent the aspirations of its members, reflect the needs of the industry and operates on open and transparent bases,” said ITAN’s President Mrs. Seriki.

Dr. Olufuye was Vice Chairman of the WITSA before his removal by ITAN’s new leadership. He sat on the board of WITSA in his capacity as the president of ITAN. The WITSA is a consortium of associations from the information technology (IT) industry around the world and it represents over 90 per cent of the world IT market, and has a stated goal of advancing the growth and development of the IT industry.

In a similar vein, ITAN has dissociated itself from the African ICT Alliance (AFICTA) formed by Olufuye and presumed to be part of ITAN.

“ITAN would not be part of the newly formed African ICT Alliance (AFICTA) formed by Olufuye,” Seriki said, emphasising that ITAN never approved its participation with this African ICT Alliance group formed by Olufuye and had never given any approval to any of his activities in this regard.

She added that the appointment of Mr. Tola Sogbesan by Dr. Olufuye was never approved by the Board nor ever brought to the notice of the President and therefore this appointment be withdrawn with immediate effect.

“That all past act of Dr Olufuye to act without board approval and with no regard or respect to the current President should stop as subsequent reports would warrant the Board to take more drastic action,” Seriki said.

Remmy Nweke
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