The honourable minister for Information and Communications, Prof. (Mrs) Dora Akunyili, has said that there is no vacancy at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) top office, the executive vice chairman cum chief executive officer, yet.She made this disclosure at a media session with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) editors in Lagos at the weekend, saying that NCC as an agency of the federal government, no doubt, has done well, a pass mark it cannot be denied of.
“NCC has done well, especially in nurturing the telecommunication sector in the country to where it is today,” she declared.
Responding to questions, Akunyili asserted that ‘there is no vacancy yet in NCC’ stressing that the duration of the current executive board to vacate office is in the first quarter of 2010 and it would sound un-African and un-Nigerian to be discussing about possible replacement at this time, mostly for the post of the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC.
Pointing out that although there was a little misconception earlier in the year between her ministry and NCC, mostly over the 2.3 Gega Hertz sales, it would amount to sheer wickedness to deny NCC the credit, that is due to it as one of Federal Government’s regulatory agency that the government and President Musa Yar’Adua as well as people of Nigeria are unequivocally proud of.
She expressed optimism that following the intervention of the presidency over 2.3 GHz, that NCC has since commenced processes toward having a successful, more acceptable and transparent procedure that could be likened to the reputed auction of the Global System for Mobile communications licenses about nine years ago.
Equally, she said that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has done well too in terms of discharging of outlined responsibilities.
She solicited the support of Nigerians in delivering on her promise at assumption of office in line with the presidency’s seven point agenda.
“I solicit your help to work well with NCC and NBC. I want to encourage Nigerians to support those of us in government, especially myself and the Minister of State,” she appealed.
Recalling that as for NBC, the leadership would end in the coming four and half years, just as his ministry is revisiting the Committee’s report on convergence of NBC and NCC into one organization, which her office inherited from John Odey’s administration.
On the deadline for the final sale of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) as recently directed by the National Privatization Council, Prof. Akunyili said the ball is now in the court of the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE).
On rebranding, Prof. Akunyili urged Nigerians the world over to make the dream of turning the country around positively by believing in themselves so as to make the world believe in them.
“Nigerians must believe in Nigeria,” she declared, revealing that she inherited N150 million from the subvention for Heart of Africa in 2008, clarifying that there is no budgetary provision for the current rebranding project, thus they depend on the goodwill of Nigerians, who are usually asked to develop the campaign materials, instead of giving cash.
She decried that the greatest challenge the rebranding of Nigeria is facing is the inability of citizenry to accept as true that there is hope for Nigeria and its people, noting that rebranding is an on-going exercise that must be sustained at all levels and by all Nigerians, even beyond the current administration.
Plans, she said, has been advanced to ensure sustainability in the system of governance in the ministry and rebranding of Nigeria with the introduction of Rebranding Club in Nigerian schools with focus on pupils to imbibe positive attitude to life.
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