By Emmanuel Elebeke
ABUJA—The outgoing Director of Publuc Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo says his greatest challenge in his job as an image maker of the Commission was how to lie to telecom consumers whenever they were having issues with the quality of service and consequently feel offended.
He stated this during a valeditory sessoon organised in hid honour by the management of the Commisdion on Mondaybin Abuja.
He said one of the things he did was that he never lied to the people but rather, he tell them the truth
“One of the things I did was that, I never lied to the people by acknowledging that there was a challenge and that they were working to resolve the specific problem.
“I discovered that people feel offended when they are having issues with the quality of service and you tell them that the quality of service is good.
“What I tried to do was to acknowledge that there is a challenge and that we are Woking to resolve it.”
He hailed the media for playing a critical role in helping him mould a positive image for the Commission.
“The media has played a very critical role.”
Mr. Ojobo’s tenure as Director Public Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission ended on 4th October on age grounds.
He started work at the Commission in 2000 as a deputy director in the office of the then executive vice chairman, EVC, Ernest Ndukwe.
where he supervised the world Bank project and other institutional support the Commission had at the time with USAID, Detecom, Deloitte & Touche, and Growing businesses foundation among others.
The period was preparatory licensing of the digital mobile operators in 2001. Ojobo also led the team that conducted the demand study, a prerequisite for determining the potential demand and economic viability of telecommunication services to consumers in the country as well as consumer readiness to take up the services of operators,if licensed.
According to him, the commission started in a 5- bedroom apartment before a divine intervention came in to shape the commission to be what it is today.
He commended the EVC for his openness and leadership, which he said has taken the Commission to a new height.
He described him as a CEO that understands the role of the media in shaping the narratives.
“His desire to build bridges has helped the commission. The current economic realities requires technocrats to ensure that the industry remains stable.
“I had a fantastic relationship in the done a lot to image building in NCC.
“I am leaving the commission fulfilled. I was here from the beginning all through the licensing and the revolution happened right before me. My satisfaction is that, we were able to take teledensity in 2001 from 0.04 percent to about 162 percent in 2018, which is a phenomenal growth.
“Also, from 350 ,000 active lines in 2001, we were able to move it to 162million active lines today.
All happened while I was in this commission.
“The e-commerce space is expanding and a situation where customers don’t need to go and que up in the banks anymore but can carry out any traction on a mobile device, this is what revolution is about,” he explained.
In address, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta said Ojobo effectively managed the image of the Commisdion to change the negative narrative.
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/10/my-greatest-challenge-as-ncc-image-maker-ojobo/
