The last may not have
been heard of the controversial registration and licensing of Information
Technology (IT) contractors embarked upon by the National Information Technology Development
Agency (NITDA), as the Nigeria Computer
Society (NCS) has insisted that only the Computer
Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) has the power to
conduct registration and licensing in IT industry, reports ITRealms.
NCS, ITRealms recalls is the umbrella
organization of all Information Technology professionals in Nigeria and
diaspora, interest groups and stakeholders in the country.
Anything other than CPN
registration, NCS told ITRealms is tantamount
to double registration and contravenes the Federal Government policy on ease of
doing business and lacks due process.
The latest is coming
in reaction to NITDA insistence in carrying on with the so-called registration
and licensing, this NCS decried, saying it may lead to the registration of
quacks and non-professionals because the exercise is devoid of due diligence as
enshrined in the CPN Act 49 of June 1993.
As alluded by NCS
President, Prof. Adesola G. Aderounmu to ITRealms,
is self-serving and any undercurrent discovered in the industry should be have been
reported to CPN promptly.
NCS further argued
that based on CPN mandate of Act 49 of June 1993, only the Council has the authority
to register and license IT contractors, citing the CPN Act section 2, subsection
2 on membership registration, which states inter alia:
“Persons admitted to
the membership of the profession shall be registered as members of the
profession in various categories including the corporate member category.”
Also NCS cited section
8 (1) on the list, which states thus, “CPN has the mandate to keep, publish,
print the list of all registered professional and is available for inspection
for members of the public at all reasonable time. This has been in operation
since 1998.”
And finally, NCS cited
the CPN Act section 18, subsection 2b, which focused on licensing and asserted
that “It prescribes the form of licence to be issued annually.”
NCS president, a
professor of computer science, pointed out that the call for another
registration and licensing of IT contractors by NITDA is equivalent to double
registration which is contrary to the Federal Government’s policy on ease of
doing business.
“Furthermore it may
lead to the registration of quacks and non-professionals,” NCS president declared.
Aderounmu who also is
the Director, African Centre of Excellence in Software Engineering, Obafemi
Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, maintained that the failed and substandard public
IT projects alleged by NITDA as basis for current controversial registration
and licensing, should have been reported to CPN for necessary action.
“IT contracts should
only be awarded to CPN registered members; the list is available online and in
accordance with Public Procurement Act 2007,” NCS president said
Prof. Aderounmu emphasised
that registering and licensing IT contractors is not within the mandate of
NITDA, which is to create framework, guidelines and policy to develop IT.
“When properly implemented,
it will solve the problem of unemployment in Nigeria which is the focus of the
present administration,” NCS president insisted.
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