An advocacy group under the aegis of Protection Awareness Group (PAG) has called on the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency NITDA Inuwa Kashifu Abdullahi to shelve his alleged move to continue in office after the expiration of his tenure come August 2023.
The group also called on the Federal government not to elongate his tenure nor reappoint him saying the manner by which he got the appointment was allegedly fraudulent, illegal and an aberration.
The National President of the group Dr. Shamsudeen Abubakar in a statement made available to journalists and signed by the National President and secretary respectively Mr. Jubril Alkali berated former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Patanmi for bringing onboard Inuwa Kashifu whose recruitment was alleged to be shady and devoid of due process.
The group alleged that the DG in his quest to continue to allow the erstwhile Minister to have control of the NITDA is seeking for a third tenure after his current tenure ends August 2023 since his assumption into office in 2019.
Part of the group’s demands include:
That the NITDA Director General should shelve his tenure elongation having been handpicked by Isa Patanmi when he was serving as his TA on secondment from CBN as a level 10 officer in CBN.
That the former minister Isa Patanmi took advantage of his closeness to former President Muhammad Buhari to fraudulently secure a 2nd term for him while his first term is yet to expire which is a serious indictment on the both of them.
That as the current DG of the NITDA, Inuwa Kashifu Abdullahi is being controlled and micro managed by Patanmi and that his continuing stay will further extend Patanmi’s grip on the Agency and on the Government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as that will enable him to rule by proxy
That under his watch staff statutory allowances were not paid as and well due, contractors are being owed and revenue generated are being diverted to building of headquarters without commensurate value of the work done.
That Inuwa allegedly approved severance package for Patanmi running into over hundred and fifty million naira when the latter was appointed.
The Protection awareness group therefore wanted Inuwa Abdullahi to leave peacefully immediately his current tenure expires in August to enable capable hands take over the Agency for the benefit of the nation.
It further called on Inuwa to save his shame by bowing out when the ovation is loudest and not wait until he is forced or disgraced out of office.
“He should desist from lobbying the presidency and every other persons involved to continue his stay in office” the statement read.
