Telecommunications technocrat, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe has commiserated with Nigerians on the death of Alhaji Ahmed Joda whom he described as a national treasure. In an eulogy, Ndukwe, a former Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) urged Nigerians especially the family, friends and admirers of the departed Joda to find solace in the fact that he not only lived a good and fulfilled life but left indelible footprints on the sands of time. Joda served as the Chairman of the board of NCC during Ndukwe’s tour of duty at NCC.
Ndukwe noted that Joda or Baba, as he was fondly called, was a great, fair minded, energetic, detribalised, disciplined, humane, urbane and intellectually astute Nigerian. He deemed it a privilege and a pleasure to have worked with him as Chairman of the board of the Nigerian Communications Commission for 10 years. According to Ndukwe, Joda was very professional in chairing meetings and never allowed emotions to becloud his judgment. He noted that Joda was a man of great intellect and integrity, which earned him the respect of the board, management and staff of the Commission.
NCC under the duo of Joda and Ndukwe transformed the telecommunications ecosystem in Nigeria leading to the famed telecommunications revolutions in 2001. Under their charge, teledensity in Nigeria ballooned from a paltry 400,000 fixed lines to almost 100,000,000 lines, and leap-frogged Nigeria’s telecommunications sector from the backwaters to the front row of major contributors to national growth and development.
A quick study in success, Joda was a State Commissioner but gained national acclaimed as a “Super” Permanent Secretary. Urbane and altruistic, he loved Nigeria as much as Nigerians revered him. For Ndukwe, Joda’s family, friends and associates should “celebrate this colossus and there’s no doubt that he will be sorely missed”.
