PRESS STATEMENT

---------Diaspora Commission not sent packing from Digital Economy Complex, says NCC

The attention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been drawn to a video making the rounds on social media alleging that the Nigeria Diaspora Commission was ignominiously thrown out of the NCC building. It is therefore important that the general public is acquiesced with what really transpired with regard to the incident leading to the evacuation of the Diaspora Commission from the NCC building.

Following the completion of the NCC building at Mbora, Abuja designated as NCC Annex and the acute shortage of accommodation space for the staff of the Commission in the NCC Head Office at Maitama, Abuja, the Board of the Commission directed the decongestion of the Head Office Building. Some of the Departments of the NCC had started moving to the new Office Complex of Five (5) Floors when discussions were held between the NCC and the Diaspora Commission to enable the Diaspora Commission also utilize any free Offices within the Complex. The fifth floor allocated to them had to be used to accommodate other Departments from the NCC Headquarters to ease the congestion. NCC’s offer to house the Nigeria Diaspora Commission was predicated on the long held position of the NCC that agencies of Government will achieve more through strategic collaboration, partnership, synergy and sharing to the extent allowed by relevant laws.

During this period, the NCC secured approval for the Commissioning of the Office Complex by the President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari and the launching of four important projects of the NCC and the renamed Ministry of Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMC&DE):

1.Launching and unveiling of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020 – 2025;

2.Commissioning of the Communications and Digital Economy Complex;

3.Launching of the Emergency Communications Centre and Toll-Free number 112; and

4.Flag off of the Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training
These important projects were a culmination of extensive collaboration between NCC and the other Parastatals of the FMC&DE and fittingly the Complex was renamed the COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL ECONOMY COMPLEX in tandem with the new drive of the Federal Government towards a digital economy.

The NCC has not withdrawn the offer but had hiccups arising from the preparation for the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the Communications and Digital Economy Complex and launch other projects relating to the mandate of government. The Board and Management of the NCC took a decision to ensure that every activity in the building was in line with the Federal Government’s digital agenda.

Incidentally, after the offer of the office spaces to the Diaspora Commission, the Director General, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa had not visited the Complex to take possession of any of the offices and also the Commission had not started using any of these spaces as offices.

As is usual in ensuring security and accountability before, during and after presidential visits, the building had to be cleared to allow for only known and identifiable persons to have access within the Complex. Therefore the Honourable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami could not have sent armed men to drive the staff of the Diaspora Commission out of the Communications and Digital Economy Complex.

At this time, only NCC Staff were accredited to have access within this premises as required by the security officials. All the properties belonging to the Diaspora Commission are safely warehoused in some of the Offices in the Complex. This is contrary to the position of the Director General of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa that the removal of her Commission from the building was punitive. This is not the correct position and we agree with her that there are always challenges in every human activity but the unforeseen challenges that arose in this case are not different but require understanding of all concerned.

SIGNED:
Dr. Henry Nkemadu
Director, Public Affairs
Nigerian Communications Commission
24 May 2020

izzou:


Why is Abike bringing the i-am-a-woman defense now?

So he's oppressing her because she is a woman? How's that possible?

Obijulius:
This is funny. So this woman never still receive sense.

Buhari needs to replace her fast.

We need a smart and competent hand from the North to run that place.

Ishilove:

You badly need sense.

freeze001:
You are not in possession of all the facts so you shouldn't try to start picking holes just yet. Truth is, women go through a lot in his country at all levels just because they are female and the male aggressors feel entitled because they know they can get away with their crimes just because they are men. For this reason, you should not be too quick to discredit that statement until you have more concrete details with which to make informed decisions.

Beremx:
It’s obvious Pantami is the liar here. All those power hungry northerners Buhari gave appointments are something else

izzou:


You don't understand me yet

So Pantami just gathered policemen, and threw Abike out simply because she's a woman? Does this really make sense?

Obviously there's a feud. It could be political, or hierarchy or otherwise. But not because you're a woman.

He may hate her as Abike that she is, but not because she's a woman.

I don't know if you understand me

seunmsg:
Both of them are shameless.I’m embarrassed reading the reactions of both of them. Two very senior government officials of the same party shouldn’t be doing this publicly.

freeze001:


Like you said, there is obviously a feud. However, you do not have details of said feud and so it is indeed too quick and in fact out of place for you to disregard her line of argument because you simply do not know better and it is in fact a possibility that her gender may have played a role in that feud.

Lorenzop:
And someone will tell me Gen Buhari is still around?. ....Shameless people

Ishilove:

You badly need sense.

J2381:
and I badly need some Ishi-loving

naptu2:
The war hasn't ended.
https://twitter.com/abikedabiri/status/1264605674098626561

Beremx:
It’s obvious Pantami is the liar here. All those power hungry northerners Buhari gave appointments are something else