 |
| 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.
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