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The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has suspended the director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Peter Jack, for “misconduct unbecoming of a public officer of his cadre”.
A statement by Mr. Shittu’s Special Assistant on Media, Victor Oluwadamilare, reads:
“The indefinite suspension became imperative on the strength of deluge of petitions regarding several alleged wrong-doings in NITDA and subsequent preliminary findings of an investigative committee set up by the Ministry”
According to the statement, some of Jack’s sins, identified by the investigative committee made up of three senior officials of the ministry, included illegal recruitment of 245 workers within a spate of seven months.
The statement, quoting from the committee report adds:
“As at 29th May, 2015, NITDA only had a staff complement of 74.”
“But from May, 2015 to 31st December, 2015, additional 245 staff were employed in questionable circumstances, despite clear instruction from the ministry directing suspension of employment in the agency”
Meanwhile, Vincent Olatunji has been named acting DG NITDA.
Mr. Olatunji, until this appointment, was the director of Corporate Strategy and Research in the agency.