By Prince Osuagwu & Laide Akinboade
THE Executive Commissioner, Engineering and Standards of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Mr. Bashiri Gwandu, yesterday, emerged the commission’s new acting Executive Vice Chairman and CEO.

This was after the Minister of Information and Communications, Prof Dora Akunyili introduced him to telecom operators and other stakeholders in a meeting at her Radio house office in Abuja.

Gwandu’s emergence followed a directive by President Goodluck Jonathan that the former Acting EVC, Engr Stephen Adedayo Bello should proceed on immediate retirement and hand over to the most senior officer of the commission.

Vanguard gathered that the President’s stand was that Bello, having attained 60 years, on 20 August, 2009 should conform with the civil service rule on age limit to retirement.

In a letter dated June 21, 2010 with reference FMIC/PSO/225/1 Vol1/2, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications had directed Bello to hand over to Gwandu, who is the next most senior officer of the commission.

The directive was said to have followed the advice of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye.

Vanguard gathered that before the minister’s meeting with telecom stakeholders, there were serious apprehensions at the Nigerian Communications Commission following the refusal of Engr Bello to hand over to Gwandu.

It was learnt that Bello argued that as an appointed Executive Commissioner and later Acting EVC, the age limit rule of civil service no longer applied to his positions which he claimed was purely on appointment.

A source at the NCC told Vanguard that the man even sited the case of former EVC of the commission, Engr Ernest Ndukwe who also faced the same problem when he attained the age of 60 while in service at the commission as the EVC, and later had to scale the huddle after due considerations were explored and the fact established that his position was on appointment.

Vanguard gathered that while Bello wanted precedence to be followed, Engr Gwandu already assumed office, allegedly saying that whether Bello handed over to him or not, he could operate as acting EVC from his present office.

The situation, Vanguard gathered, put NCC officials in confusion as to who to report to. It was not yet clear as the time of filing this report, whether the minister’s introduction of Gwandu as the new EVC had settled the matter.