The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive (EVC/CE) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, continues to receive a plethora of awards conferred on him by several bodies on account of his work at the Nigerian telecommunication regulatory commission.
Omoniyi Ibietan, Head, Online Media and Publication ( NCC) on stage to receive the award from Dr. Peter Igho
At the weekend Danbatta received, THE PUBLIC SERVANT OF THE YEAR Award at an impressively attended event to add to several awards that he has received in the course of the year.
On Thursday last week Danbatta and his Commission also received additional awards. While Commission received the “Corporate Social Responsibility Award” in security and emergency management, Danbatta beat other nominees to clinch the “Goodwill Ambassador Award” in security and emergency management.
The awards were given in recognition of Commission’s efforts in ensuring the availability of infrastructure to safeguard the security of lives and property of citizens and residents of Nigeria through the execution of Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs) projects in each state of the Federation.
Danbatta was conferred with the Public Servant of The Year Award at the Fifth Henna Ball and Award Night, organised by Tozali Magazine and Television, which took place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. The award was received on Danbatta’s behalf by Omoniyi Ibietan, the Commission’s Head of Online Media and Special Publication.
Chukwuma Azikiwe, Head, Emergency Communications Centre (ECC) Project, Special Duties, NCC (Left) receiving the awards on behalf of the EVC of NCC from Mohammed Audu-Bida, Chairman of Panel of Jury for SAEMA 2019 at the event.
The publisher of Tozali Magazine and founder of Tozali Television, Maimuna Yahaya Abubakar, stated that “even to be nominated means you are impacting the society positively”, and the awardees in the senior category where Danbatta received an award are those who have really distinguished themselves. Among the awardees is Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Givernor of Kaduna State who received, ‘Governor of the Year’ award.
Abubakar, whose Television outfit signed an agreement two months ago with Startimes to broadcast its signals in all the 19 Northern States, said all the awardees emerged through an online polling where thousands of Nigerians voted for personalities and organisations in each of the 18 categories of the awards.
The Goodwill Ambassador Award to Danbatta and the Corporate Social Responsibility Award were presented at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, at the First Security and Emergency Management Awards (SAEMA 2019), hosted by the Emergency Digest, a publication of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, in conjunction with the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC).
At the event, which was attended by many stakeholders, particularly agencies in the security governance sector, the NCC and Danbatta beat other contenders and nominees in their respective categories – the Awards were in 18 categories.
Receiving the two awards on behalf of the Commission and the EVC, Chukwuma Azikiwe, Head, Emergency Communications project, NCC, who also delivered the EVC keynote address at the forum, said the “Commission and Prof. Danbatta considered it a great honour to be recognised for the concerted efforts the NCC family is making in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act to strengthen security of lives and property in the country.”
Danbatta said on assumption of office in 2015, he recognised the need to give focus on President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda to improve the economy, curb corruption and improve the security of lives and property.
“This explains why the Danbatta-led Management placed the project in top priority and is accelerating the execution of the Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in each state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). So far, 18 ECCs have been completed and operational in 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
Earlier, while delivering his keynote address on “Leveraging Emergency Communication Centre for National Security”, Danbatta said that discussions about security situation are a topical issue and of national importance, which every citizen of Nigeria is conscious of, because security matters affect all citizens.
