NCC clear air on evacuation of Diaspora Commission from digital economy complex

Contrary to the position of the Director-General of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, that the evacuation of the commission from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) building was punitive, the NCC has debunked DG’s claim, stating its commitment to strategic collaboration and partnership with agencies of government to the extent allowed by relevant laws.

Also, in its response to a viral video on social media alleging that the Nigeria Diaspora Commission was ignominiously thrown out of the NCC building, the NCC in a statement made available

on Sunday by its Director of Publicity, Dr Henry Nkemadu, says it is 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.

According to the NCC, 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.

It added that 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 allow it also utilize any free offices within the complex, noting that the fifth floor allocated to them had to be used to accommodate other departments from the NCC headquarters to ease the congestion.

The NCC explained further that during this period, the NCC secured approval for the commissioning of the office complex by the President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari and the launch of four important projects of the NCC and the renamed Ministry of Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMC&DE).

The projects, according to the NCC, approved for the launch were: launch and the unveiling of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020 – 2025; Commissioning of the Communications and Digital Economy Complex; launch of the Emergency Communications Centre and toll-free number 112 and flag-off of the Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training.

The NCC says these important projects are a culmination of extensive collaboration between NCC and the other parastatals of the FMC&DE. The statement read in part: “The NCC has not withdrawn the offer but had hiccups arising from the preparation for the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the Communications and Digital Economy Complex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 like 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 these 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 and require an understanding of all concerned.”