A civil rights organisation, Centre for Leadership Network Initiative, on Wednesday in Abuja advised President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the Minister of Communications Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, and reverse the suspension of the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Peter Jack.

National Publicity Secretary of CLNI, Usman Abdulazeez, described the sack as illegal, saying that the minister’s action was a complete departure from the promise made to Nigerians by the President.

He said: “We are disappointed with the actions of the minister thus far, which are totally against the spirit of the Nigeria Constitution and the public service rules. Firstly, we condemn not only the suspension of Peter Jack but also the insistence of the minister that the Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Mr. Vincent Olatunji, should take over as against the most senior Director, Yinka Adejumo, to whom power had earlier been handed over by Jack.”

CLNI also declared the immediate ‘de-secondment’ without due process of the Director, Human Resource and Administration and the Principal Officer, Multi-Stakeholders Partnership Office, amongst others, without recourse to public service rules as “a complete act of impunity and further portrays the minister as playing a script that is not in the interest of Nigeria as a nation.”

The group said that the duty of the minister is to recommend to the President for appointment in whatever capacity when necessary.

According to CLNI, “Peter Jack is been victimised for recruitment of over 250 persons to beef up the manpower requirement of NITDA that is currently less than 80 persons and also for his role in supporting the former President, Goodluck Jonathan.

“If this is allowed to continue it may degrade the good intentions of President Muhammadu Buhari’s change agenda since the action of the minister is an abuse of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We therefore urge the president to call caution the minister.”

•Photo shows suspended NITDA DG, Peter Jack.