News
ASUU Accuses NITDA of Lying on UTAS’ Integrity Test Failure
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has returned a damning indictment on National Information Development Agency (NITDA) for allegedly deceiving Nigerians that the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) developed by the union was not adopted by the Federal Government because the payroll software failed integrity test.
ASUU, which declared its members would continue to oppose enrolment on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), noted that none of the issues that necessitated the current impasse has been resolved.
Addressing newsmen, at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Adelaja Odukoya, coordinator, ASUU Lagos zone, said NITDA betrayed its mandate by misinforming the public that UTAS was fraught with systematic errors, hence, the decision of Federal Government to discard the payment platform.
Odukoya explained that NITDA had indicated in a report of the first test it conducted on UTAS and sent to Isa Pantami, minister of Communication and Digital Economy, on December 3, 2021, that the platform failed some fundamental test cases despite a summary score of 97.4 per cent. He wondered how scoring 97.4 per cent could have amounted to failure.
Odukoya, who added that refusal by NITDA to issue certificate of compliance led to a disagreement between it and ASUU, which led to a joint reassessment tests between the technical team of the union and NITDA, at the instance of Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment.
He added that the tests that were conducted between March 8 and 18, had in attendance representatives of the Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.
“However, while the re-assessment tests were ongoing, NITDA director general released misleading information to the public from the discredited report of the first test of the first test that UTAS failed again, leaving out the result of the jointly conducted test of 99.3 per cent test.
“Our union them wonders how and where 99.3 per cent tests score would be adjudged as failure.
“We are aware that the position of the NITDA director general is not consistent with the enthusiasm of the technical team from the agency he superintends over and the director general is unduly politicising the entire process to the disadvantage of the country, possibly in the interest of Pantami.
“Their dispositions amount to passing a vote of no confidence in the Nigerian intelligentsia and our union would not allow this to fly. Good enough, we are convinced that the technical team members from NITDA are quite abreast of the process and the responsibilities around their certified qualifications.
“ASUU, therefore, wants the Nigerian public to call the NITDA director general to order on the point of integrity not to play politics and vendetta with the future of Nigeria and that of our public universities as national treasures and collective patrimony of all Nigerian citizens.
“We are convinced NITDA director general is only out to carry out the hatchet job of a minister whose professorial fraud was challenged by our union,” the ASUU zonal coordinator said.”
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Legit.ng, Shade of Life Foundation Partner to Advance Autism Awareness in Nigeria
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
News
As Nigeria Struggle, Tanzania Turns off Power Plants Due to Excess Supply
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
News
President Tinubu Appoints Jim Ovia as Student Loan Fund Chairman
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Ovia’s appointment is contained in a State House statement titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,’ and issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the President, Media & Publicity.
The statement noted that “Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.
“He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.”
The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds,” the statement partly read.
Ovia’s appointment will also ensure “that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.”
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