By Aaron Ukodie
Questions are being asked as to whether the new minister of communication, Dr Isa Pantami, has the constitutional right to give orders to the parastatals, such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), under his ministry and demand their regular reporting to him
The Minister, three days ago gave marching orders to Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the parastatals under the Ministry, as well as the Directors of the Ministry to meet certain targets in a bid to improve on communication services provision in the country.
The minister also told the CEOs that they would be giving monthly reports to him for assessment of their work.
But ICT stakeholders are shocked at the manner and source of powers the minister is exerting on the MDAS. The stakeholders who do not want to be named argue that since the agencies were established by an act of parliament, their reporting line is to the NASS, which has oversight functions over them and the presidency that appointed them.
They stakeholders are also asking if Pantami, as Director-general of NITDA ever reported to Barrister Adebayo Shittu, who was minister of communications at the time. In fact, Pantami once told the minster Shittu that he reports only to the president and not to him.
The stakeholders want to see the many memos that Pantami sent to Shittu and the approvals that he got before embarking on any project.
The question of reporting line was also an issue during the time of late professor Dora Akunyili as minister of communication and Dr Ernest Ndukwe, as EVC of NCC. Akunyili had sought to exert unconstitutional oversight over the NCC to which Ndukwe rebuffed.
For instance, under the 2003 ACT establishing the NCC, the minister was only given the task of formulation, determination and monitoring, of the general policy for the communications sector in Nigeria with a view to ensuring, amongst others, the utilisation of the sector as a platform for the economic and social development of Nigeria.
The Minister was also empowered to, by writing, from time to time, notify the Commission or and express his views on the general policy direction of the Federal Government in respect of the communications sector.
The ACT also stated unequivocally, that the minister “In the execution of his functions and relationship with the Commission, the Minister shall at all times ensure that the independence of the Commission, in regard to the discharge of its functions and operations under this Act, is protected and not compromised in any manner whatsoever”.
Observers are asking what has changed, between the time he was NITDA DG when he told Shittu that he only reports to the president and now that he has become minister and also whether there are new provisions in the NCC Act that empowers Pantami to seek to exert control over the NCC.
The minister three days gave the orders, after meeting with the MDA CEOs, to receive briefing on their activities that they should significantly improve the level of their performance to reflect the Next Level paradigm of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He asked the executive vice chairman of the Nigerian communication commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta to improve the reach and coverage of its services in the public sector; and significantly improve the quality of services provided.
Danbatta was also asked to bring to an end to the issue of sales of pre-registered, unregistered and partially-registered SIM cards, especially as this can help in reducing numerous security challenges the nation faces and stem the tide of illegal deduction of the data of subscribers and work towards the downward review of the cost of data.
Pantami also want Danbatta to ensure compliance with the maximum 2% Call Drop Rate directive to telecom operators.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited, Mrs Alale was asked to significantly improve its level of visibility across the country and ensure great improvement in the quality of its services.
Pantami wants the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) Postmaster-General to ensure an appreciable improvement in the efficiency of its letter and parcel delivery service; and increase the effective area of its coverage in the country.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA was told to have a greater level of focus on increasing local content development and patronage in the hardware and software sub-sectors, strengthen the execution of its IT project clearance mandate to capture more projects by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); and ensure the promotion and adoption of the Nigeria e-Government Interoperability Framework (Ne-GIF) by the MDAs.
The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) is to ensure there is a sustainability model in place for all the projects deployed and prepare plan to reduce the access gaps in the rural, unserved and underserved areas.
Pantami emphasized the Ministry’s roles of supervision and provision of broad policies for all the parastatals within the Ministry, informing the CEOs that their performance would be assessed on a monthly basis.
He asked them to be passionate, hardworking and ensure that they exhibit high level of integrity in the discharge of their duties and to follow due process in their activities as championed by the President and also directed them to communicate these values and targets to their staff.
