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The NCC has not withdrawn the offer but had hiccups arising from the preparation for the visit of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
May 24 2020.
