Emmanuel Thomas
Nigeria, February 05, 2016 – There are indications that management of the National IT Development Agency (NITDA) has resulted to divide and rule tactics in the wake of employment saga that is confronting the agency.
Just a week ago, the DG of the agency, Mr. Peter Jack was suspended over allegations that 245 staff of the agency were fraudulently employed through financial inducement.
We gathered that the 245 staff met on Wednesday 4th February 2016 to brainstorm on the matter as it affects their disengagement from NITDA nominal and payroll.
The affected staff met when they got a hint that management of the embattled agency is planning to re-employ 100 people in a divide and rule tactics.
The ploy according to sources will see management granting permission for 20 of the 245 already employed to resume, while opinion leaders will get about 30 slots to buy them in and then share the remaining slots between the Minister, Adebayo Shittu, his perceived crony, the Acting DG, Mr. Vincent Olatunji and some other close associates.
It was also learnt that the Acting DG has also been mandated to eventually employ 500 new people within 6 months, in a mock phase by phase resumption of the NITDA 245.
A source close to the Ag. DG said this is his most recent promise to his master, in the guise of “gradual resumption of the 245 employed people due to space and budgetary issues’’.
This development, we gathered is aimed at putting into oblivion the issue of the NITDA 245.
Sources Close to NITDA told our reporter that out of 1.5 Billion earmarked for 2015 personnel budget, only about 800 million was used.
We were also informed that due to the planned expansion in manpower, the personnel budget for 2016 was increases to 2.6 billion, in other to ensure that the 245 new staff can all be paid.
We learnt that in preparation for the 245, a little more than a year ago, the Board of NITDA made payment for 6 buildings, each located in the geopolitical zones.
The buildings are still empty as at press time as a result of manpower.
An anonymous staff who is obviously unhappy with whole development told our reporter that the equipping of the Zonal offices is also part of the 2015 procurement process which has been put on hold by the Minister, Adebayo Shittu in anticipation of the entry of his ally.
Our source said that excuse of NITDA management of disengaging the 245 staff either for finance or space is nothing but a lame excuse.
“How else can we describe the engagement of close to two hundred NYSC members every year to aid manpower, an action which in itself is contrary to labour law”, the source said.
The NITDA 245 also alleged that in a move to discredit the whole employment process, the management of NITDA has approached some of her members to tell lies that money was offered for employment, a move they said will fail, noting that there is a comprehensive list of all who wrote and passed both the oral and the written interview and that for the few who have referrals, there are names and contact of their sponsors, to ascertain such claims during investigation by appropriate anti-graft agency.
