By Aminu Kazaure
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is canvassing the immediate sack of the Director General of National Information Technology and Development (NITDA) Kashifu Inuwa.
ASUU’s demand is based on Inuwa’s submission that University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) had failed integrity test conducted by NITDA.
Coordinator of ASUU, Akure Zone, Prof. Olu-Olu stated this at a briefing jointly addressed by ASUU Chairmen in the zone at the Ekiti State University’s campus Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
The chairmen flanking the coordinator included Dr. Kayode Arogundade (EKSU); Prof. Yinka Awopetu (FUTA); Dr. Adeola Egbetokun (OAU) and Dr. Akin Omonijo (FUOYE).
Olu-Olu posited that the claim was a calculated attempt by some agents of government to frustrate the adoption of UTAS, which he described as a credible and trusted salaries payment platform that captures the inherent peculiarities in the country’s university system.
ASUU described Inuwa’s comments as not only misleading but also bare-faced lies, insisting that UTAS complied absolutely with the quality assurance requirements contrary to the bias report ditched out by NITDA.
He wondered why NITDA rejected UTAS in spite of positive commendations and 99.3 percent mark scored in the integrity test conducted under the supervised of the agency.
“It’s quite ridiculous that the NITDA in an earlier integrity test conducted on UTAS had written a report scoring it 99.3% but as the stakeholders in the educational sector are awaiting the report, Inuwa in his usual characteristic and mischievous manner went on air to destroy the report contrary to what reportedly scored.
According to ASUU, in a saner clime, this alone is enough to warrant his removal from office but the way he keeps galvanising on the corridor of power is suggestive of acting a script by the sworn enemies of the masses and students.
“The question Nigeria should ask Kashifu Inuwa, the self-styled ignoramus DG of NITDA is why the highly exorbitant IPPIS was not subjected to the same integrity test as UTAS and yet was imposed on the Nigerians with all its objectionable features.
And Nigerians should demand to know whose interest Inuwa is serving as we strongly believe he cannot be serving the interest of the Nigerian masses without a listening ear. One wonders the number of brawn like Inuwa littering government offices”, he said.
Chairman of ASUU FUTA chapter, Prof. Yinka Awopetu ,said intervention of relevant stakeholders in the country’s education sector seemed not yielding any desirable result due to lack of sincerity on the part of the federal government.
He also lamented that the Federal Government was not bothered to bring solutions to the avalanche of hydra-headed problems bedeviling the education sector, saying that ASUU should not be blamed for their actions.
“It must be stated that ASUU is not the one delaying negotiation as it always open to re-negotiation but will only return to classrooms when the government has shown enough commitments to fulfill its own signed agreement”.
