The Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Communications, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West) has thrown his weight behind the recent suspension of the Director General of Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Mr. Peter Jack by the Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu over employment and contract scams.
In his reaction to the furore generated by the suspension of the boss of NITDA, the senator said that the director general must be further investigated for the period he has held the position as head of the information technology development agency stressing that doing otherwise may lead to total mess up of the agency established by the NITDA Act of 2007.
Senator Adeola said that Mr. Jack has refused to answer to audit queries issued by the Auditor General of the Federation, AuGF, in performance of its constitutional duties as the Auditor General adding that the non-response to such queries raises serious questions about the integrity of the DG as a public officer.
“What most commentators and groups demanding reversal of the suspension do not know is that the issue goes beyond employment racketeering and breach of procurement processes. It also involves the issue of implementation of the constituency projects of legislators at the National Assembly as well as flagrant disobedience to legitimate directives of his
supervising ministry in contravention of Section 31 of NITDA Act” the senator said.
Senator Adeola said it is only after a thorough
investigation of the agency under the leadership of the incumbent DG that a determination can be made on rescinding the suspension or relieving the DG of
his position stressing that doing otherwise will definitely imperil the government well intentioned policy on information technology development in Nigeria.
