The new National Executive Council (NEC) of the Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria Ltd (ITAN) led by Mrs. Florence Seriki is to hold crucial talks in Lagos with the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson at a ‘Roundtable Meeting and Dinner “to deliberate on all IT critical issues with key government officials” as they effect the sector. The NEC announced this at a media parley in Lagos where it also highlighted its efforts to clean up ITAN and work with other professional groups to advance the cause of the industry.

Consequently, Seriki officially announced that ITAN has formally harmonized as an industry group with the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and the remaining IT industry. The harmonization represents a major lift for IT practitioners and ends over a decade of strictures between ITAN and the NCS,ISPON etc and the industry speaking with one voice.

The harmonization is the outcome of the work of a ‘Special Committee on Harmonisation comprising of the President of NCS, ITAN, ISPON and the CPN where the decision to harmonized the workings of the two organisations was passed and approved. According to ITAN, “All the recommendations of this Committee to harmonise the Industry was adopted and passed. Henceforth all IT practitioners in the Industry will register with NCS as individual members; whilst they register their Companies with any of the Industrial groups like ITAN, ISPON etc…It was noted that the industry will definitely speak as one voice as all the representatives of each industrial group will be at the NEC of NCS and College of fellows. That issues relating to hardware be referred to ITAN while issues relating to Software be referred to ISPON, etc.”

Also, by implication, only companies duly registered with one of the Industrial Groups within the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS) and with its Chief Executive Officer and one key staff being individual members of the NCS can apply for tenders issued by federal, state, corporate organisations and parastatals.

ITAN NEC also announces the relieve of its immediate past president Dr Jimson Olufuye of his position as ITAN’s representative on the board of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) in a move designed to reposition ITAN, restore accountability and transparency. ITAN will therefore be represented on the WITSA's board by Mrs. Seriki or any of her representatives in her capacity as ITAN’s president. Olufuye ceases to “represent ITAN on the WITSA Board with immediate effect and before the completion of his tenure by October 2012,

Also the removal of its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Olu Joseph was also announced as his new position had been earlier circulated.

The new ITAN leadership which has since clarified that the ‘Association’ is a Limited Liability organisation by guarantee is not bound by any constitution but by the Association Memo and Articles to end controversies stirred by its former executives that ITAN is an association bound to a constitution. The new ITAN has rectified and obtained the new certificate of Incorporation, C02, C07, from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registry. The move was necessary as the “the NEC was informed by the immediate past president, Dr Olufuye that the last documents were missing and thus were never handed over to the new president and board, the NEC explained in Lagos.

When the ITAN president was asked about the raging controversy over accountability and allegations of illegal bank withdrawal relating to the immediate past president, Dr Olufuye, she responded that the new NEC had subjected the last three years to a re-audit by a new auditor and the issue of illegal withdrawal by Dr Olufuye even after he ceased to be ITAN’s president were “issues already under investigation.”

“We have a new ITAN in place that is able to fully represent the aspirations of its members, reflect the needs of the industry and operates on open and transparent bases,” said ITAN’s President Mrs. Seriki. Dr Olufuye was Vice Chairman of the WITSA before his removal by ITAN’s new leadership. He sat on the board of WITSA in his capacity as the president of ITAN. The WITSA is a consortium of associations from the information technology (IT) industry around the world and it represents over 90% of the world IT market, and has a stated goal of advancing the growth and development of the IT industry. WITSA was founded in 1978 as the World Computing Services Industry Association, and it has since increasingly participated in advocacy in international public policy that affects the "global information infrastructure". It voices the concerns of the international IT industry in organisations such as the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the G8.

In a similar vein, ITAN has dissociated itself from the African ICT Alliance (AFICTA) formed by Dr Jimson Olufuye and presumed to be part of ITAN. In Lagos ITAN’s NEC officially declared: “That ITAN would not be part of the newly formed African ICT Alliance (AFICTA) formed by Dr Olufuye. That ITAN never approved its participation with this African ICT Alliance group formed by Dr Olufuye and had never given any approval for the press conference issued out by Dr Olufuye. That hence, the appointment of Mr Tola Sogbesan by Dr Olufuye was never approved by the Board nor ever brought to the notice of the President and therefore this appointment of Mr Tola Sogbesan be withdrawn with immediate effect.That all past act of Dr Olufuye to act without board approval and with no regard or respect to the current President should stop as subsequent reports would warrant the Board to take more drastic action.”