One of the steering storms in the Nigeria telecommunication sector has adversely cut up with the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) – the Institution set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria, to train the needed manpower in the communications Industry, under the supervision of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC).
As the uneasy calm ragged on in the sector over various regulatory positions versus ‘business fragmented approaches’ introduced by the seat of power in government, the Chairman of the legacy institute last-week had to throw-in the towel on his as the Chairman of DBI.
“I resigned my appointment as Chairman, Digital Bridge Institute, last Monday.” – That was the first-line quote NewswatchNigeria got from the personal blog post of Omo-Ettu as he dropped the shocking hint on industry watchers.
“There are no immediate problems but the potential for serious un-resolvable problems for the Institute is high, in the long run,” he added in the bid to give insights to what led to his frustration and eventual resignation.
Explaining further, the one time President of Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and an unrepentant critic of the Pentascope scam that milked NITEL alleged that are some people in government with power above him that want DBI to fail.
HIS WORDS “In my letter of resignation, I told those who supervise my work about their own bit of the issues at stake and why I decided to quit. Essentially, those folks love to run the Institute as if it is a project that must fail.
“To be frank, I can live through that and square up to it for a good while. However, there are bigger industry (CommTech) issues which, if left unaddressed, may end in several investments being destroyed. So, I considered it due that I stepped out and deal with the issues as Titi Omo-Ettu and not as Chairman of DBI.
“Words sneaking out of the Minister’s mouth are considered very dangerous to investments and at the end of it all, there are aspects that will ultimately make DBI a cannon fodder. If, down the road, I am cut in that kind of ambush, I deserve to take the blame.
“I am about to discuss the issues one after the other using my blog page and my networks as media platforms. I expect others, especially investors, local investors in particular, to ask questions and protect their interests and investments in their own ways.
“I just studied the Minister’s background and have not been able to put a finger on what prepared him for this huge responsibility. The way he is going, he is bound to see power when the issues are responsibility and maturity. Something must give. It is called Investments.
“If someone tells you he signs an MoU to develop Nigerians’ digital skills using companies that sold hardware yesterday, I hope you will ask at what stage those companies acquired a track record in the advertised subject matter. I can give the answer – 2017 with due respect. (I really have no issues with the companies, afterall they are usually tools to be used, often used with dare consequences even to themselves).
“Of course, you and I know it, no Nigerians will benefit from such recycled game-plans as this. The MoU’s will simply transform into huge contracts, and a few folks will feel fine. And in any case, DBI will eventually become the tool to use to firm the whole process up in order to make sense to the man on the street. That really is the crux of the matter.
“Fast forward. With me in DBI as Chairman, it will not happen and that means I will have to be eased out, if not out-rightly fired, at a time it may be too late to do anything about it.
“Today, you hear of digital nations in Africa (DNA). I hope they are not saying this nonsense is in our DNA. Yesterday it was PENTASCOPE, a while ago, it was National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), if you recall.”
REACTIONS
President Nigeria Internet Registration Association, Sunday Afolayan has added his voice as reactions as continued to trail the resignation of Titi Omo-Ettu as DBI Chairman and his frustrations as explained above in this report.
According to the Afolayan in his post to react to the development, stated that Omo-Ettu is not a man to ignore when he speaks even as he reckoned that the Founder of CyberschuulNews had openly admitted that ‘ComTech industry growth is declining, and that the future looks turbulent’.
Afolayan showered encomium on Omo-Ettu on the part he took to resign even when the opportunity to soil his hand with oil and fruit with the people that be in government abound.
HIS WORDS, “His reason? Better to be able to speak about a wrong step that the Government is about to take, without Yam clogging his mouth.”
He also believe that Digital Nation Africa – the controversial initiative with lots of business memorandum with IBM is a clot in the blood stream of the issue.
Others who added their voice said, Isaiah Erhiawarien “That free platform was build to enable IBM get funding from the UN to revive its dying business even as it us clear its hardware business to Lenovo.
Segun Oruame Oga Omo-Ettu concerns are genuine and incite worries. His concerns are no more for Nigeria than are they are less for IBM. He is concerned that seeming good intentions get tainted to become the usual notoriously counterproductive ‘Nigerian Contract.’ His position is simple: when the chickens come home to roost, he will not be in a position of weakness to not condemn what he had seen coming.
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