ICT critical to NASS administration – CNA
The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Mr Ojo Olatunde, has described Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as very critical to the administration of day-to-day running of the National Assembly.
Olatunde stated this during a training organised by the National Assembly in collaboration with Sunnet System Ltd held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was for staff of the National Assembly ICT Department. In his remarks, Olatunde called on the staff to see themselves as the core of administration in the assembly.
He said “As the technological pillar of the National Assembly, you have contributions to make for the successful running of this institution”.
Olatunde noted that ICT had gone beyond owning a computer and urged the participants to carry out their duties in a unique manner.
“There is no disputing the fact that today is indeed a milestone in the history of the ICT Department of the National Assembly and all participants must congratulate ourselves for being part of history.
“Borne out of our commitment to serve with the extreme importance we attach to ICT under our watch, we did not waste time to boot out and block from the National Assembly, the fraudulent contractors that stagnated the department in the past.
“It will interest us to know that the forensic audit report initiated by my predecessor indicted the contractors that did the ‘Internet Bandwidth Connecting Upgrade’ and other ICT services.
“We have carried out to the letter, the recommendations in that report,” he said.
He noted the assembly would make optimal use of ICT to achieve a paperless legislative environment with issues of e-voting, Order Paper, votes and proceedings to boost democratic participation in Nigeria.
Also, Director ICT in the National Assembly, Mrs Fatima Jalal Arabi said that the aim of the training was to improve staff capacity.
“Most of our old staff from the level of assistant director to deputy director have been moved to other departments and we need replacement,” she said.
The Managing Director Sunnet Systems Ltd, Mr Paul Olagunju, also said the training was put up to make the staff more proficient in ICT.