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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