The Academic Staff Union of Univerisities (ASUU) has refuted the alleged failure of the integrity test at the University Accountability and Transparency Solution (UTAS), Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The refutation was made by ASUU President Mr. Emmauel Osodeke in a statement made available to Geeky Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja.
“This press statement is necessitated by the need for ASUU to put the records straight on the grounds already covered in our patriotic struggle to get the government to deploy UTAS as a suitable solution for salary payment in our university system.
“Let us put it on record that an integrity test was carried out by NITDA on Aug. 10, 2021 in NUC where relevant government agencies and all the end-users in the University system were present.
“At the end of the exercise, all, without exception, expressed satisfaction with UTAS as a suitable solution for salary payment in our universities.
“This was attested to by the report coming from NITDA then to the effect that UTAS scored 85 per cent in User Acceptance Test (UAT), ‘’he said.
Osodeke argued that the NITDA Technical Team, after conducting a comprehensive functionality test came out to say that out of 687 test cases, 529 cases were satisfactory, 156 cases queried and 2 cases cautioned, and the percentage score was 77 per cent.
“The question that arises from this is: Can 77 per cent in any known fair evaluation system be categorized as failure?
“Suffice it to say here that some observations and questions were raised by NITDA to which UTAS technical team has to provide clarification. As we speak, our engagement with NITDA over the second round of testing continues.
“The union is worried that while this exercise is going on, the Minister and the DG, NITDA went to press after FEC meeting of Wednesday, 9 March, 2022, to mislead the nation that UTAS has failed the integrity test.
“We wish to draw your attention to the fact that NITDA gave a report to the fact that NITDA gave the report that UTAS did well in both the integrity test and user acceptability verification.
“Clearly, 85 per cent and 77 per cent are high class grades in any known evaluation system.
“In their desperation to justify their false assertions, they threw up issues such as Data centre and hosting of UTAS software which are clearly outside the rubrics of ASUU’s responsibilities in the deployment of UTAS, ’’he said.
Osodeke stated that ASUU and NITDA were still in the testing process and that that one of the core mandates of NITDA is to encourage local content development.
