The Federal Government, on Wednesday, threw the ball to the court of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) saying that it still waiting for the lecturers to upgrade and return to it the Universities Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS).
The software, which ASUU is touting to replace the Integrated Personnel and Payment Information System (IPPIS) as an alternative platform for the payment of the salaries of its members has failed previous integrity tests.
ASUU has since gone on another strike action blaming the Federal Government for failing to meet its demands.
Speaking at post-Federal Executive Council (FEC) briefing at the presidential villa, Abuja, the Director-General (DG) of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, insisted that UTAS has failed the necessary tests that should qualify it to be used as a payment platform.
His explanation followed questions thrown at the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami on the progress of the UTAS platform.
The Minister had said that when he received a letter from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, requesting a review of the submission and the technical ability of the software of the system, he forwarded the request to the NITDA.
While noting that he provided the agency’s findings to the relevant bodies, he said: “They (NITDA) conducted their analysis, their testing and sent same back to me, and I drafted a cover letter I forwarded to the Minister of Labour and Employment and I copied the two Ministers of Education, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and also the office of the Accountant General of the Federation and even NUC (National University Commission).
Pantami, however, directed the NITDA DG to provide an explanation as the agency was directly involved following which Inuwa disclosed that they were still waiting for ASUU.
The NITDA DG reiterated that UTAS failed user acceptance, security vulnerability, and stress tests.