Nigerians emerge as C’ Wealth telecoms body’s chairman, secretary-geneneral

THE 54-member nations of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) rose from its yearly Forum and Council meeting yesterday in Nairobi, Kenya with the election of Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta as the new chairman.

Danbatta is the Acting Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Chairmanship of the CTO by its rules is usually country specific and the position is held by that country’s Chief telecoms regulator. Nigeria won the position in 2014 and by yesterday’s election, the first tenure ended and another began.

Also, Shola Taylor, an engineer, has resumed as the Secretary General and Chief Executive of CTO. Taylor was named Secretary General on June 16, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. Danbatta who assumed office immediately after the election thanked the member nations for the honour done to Nigeria and promised to provide visionary leadership that will take CTO to the next level.

According to a statement from NCC, yesterday, signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Tony OJobo, with the re-election of Nigeria to the Chairmanship and Secretary General positions the country has effectively taken control of the affairs of the close-knit CTO.

Danbatta was also full of praises for the immediate past Secretary General, Prof. Tim Unwin, for his dedication to duty and wished him well in his future endeavors.

Island of Fiji was also yesterday named as the next host of the CTO Forum in 2016.