Juwah Steps into Ndukwe’s Big Shoe @ NCC

Dr. Eugene Ikemefuna Juwah has been named executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) ending more than four months of intense jostling for the coveted seat that has been occupied by two acting chief executives since April when Dr. Ernest Ndukwe bowed out gracefully after completing a 10-year in office of five years tenure each at the NCC, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now reveal.
Juwah, one of the outsiders in the race emerged ahead of some names linked to the top posts including Mr. Stephen Bello and Dr. Bashir Gwandu former executive commissioner of the NCC and another serving executive commissioner respectively.
Bello served briefly as the EVC following Ndukwe’s and handed over to Gwandu after he (Bello) was asked to proceed on compulsory retirement leave after attaining the age of 60.
Also touted in the race were; Emmanuel Ekuwem, former president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (Atcon), Mr. Edwin Momife, former managing director of the Nigerian Mobile Telecommunications Limited, Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (Alton), Lanre Ajayi, president, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) and Manny Aniebonam, CEO of Afrihub.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek however gathered that with the appointment of Juwah ends months of heated lobby for the post of EVC of the NCC.
Because of the flurry of activities and vibrancy of the telecommunications sector, many were interested in who heads the NCC, which is the apex regulatory body of the industry.
Juwah is expected to step into the big shoes left by Ndukwe, a man of uncommon achievements who etched his name in history books for the tremendous growth and transformation of the telecom industry and for transforming NCC into a transparent and open agency.
NCC with a subscriber base of 400,000 before Ndukwe assumed office in April 2000, was lifted to connect more than 78 million lines before he left office on April 3, 2010.
Early in the tenure of Ndukwe, the regulatory agency conceived and built the Digital Bridge Institute, a training centre that helps solve the dearth of adequate human resources in the burgeoning telecoms industry.
With an intimidating credentials and wealth of experience, Juwah comes prepared for the job having tirelessly worked in the scene in the past to place the country’s telecom industry on the current pedestal.
Described as taciturn, urbane but boldly courageous, Juwah 58, was former executive director of MTS First Wireless, one of the first private telecom operators now on life support after being plagued by legion of crisis. Juwah also worked for ICL, Mike Adenuga‘s firm that could not secure a licence for GSM operation in 2001.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek also gathered that Juwah, from Delta state is technically sound having studied computer and electronic engineering at post graduate level.
He has over 30 years experience in Information Technology and Telecommunication, with more than 20 years experience on directorial level and knowledgeable in digital exchanges, base station, data communication and subscriber access networks construction and operations having played coordinating roles in the set up of an ETACS, GSM and CDMA Mobile Networks in Nigeria.
Juwah is also an experienced Network Operations director with profound practical knowledge of pricing, billing, interconnection, licensing and regulatory affairs and network fraud control within the Nigerian Environment.
Reacting on the appointment, Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu, president, Atcon, described Juwah as “fitting and very ready material for the job. Intellectually and in industry equipment, he is round”
“If the time it has taken to find the candidate was meant to get one of the fine guys around, I think we can forgive the uneasy delay that has come to a good end.  This is the kind of candidate Nigerians say is ‘a round peg and a round hole” he added