NCC EMPLOYEES HONOR ALIYU AND ANINWEKE IN THEIR RETIREMENT

The staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has continued to praise the accomplishments of two management personnel as they reach the last step of their separation from the regulatory body.

When they reached the mandatory retirement age of 60, Mallam Ibrahim Aliyu, who retired as the head of administration, and Chief Okechukwu Aninweke, who retired as the head of risk management, left the Commission. Their retirements were honored on various occasions by the staff, who cited their admirable traits and list of accomplishments.

Mallam Aliyu's outstanding contributions to the Commission over his 26 years of service in several areas, including a period as the Zonal Controller of the Lagos Zonal Office, were lauded by Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu.

Adewolu praised the two employees, saying that "the Board, Management and entire staff of the Commission" were pleased with their "laudable and significant contributions to the sustainability of the country's telecoms business." The ECSM prayed to God to give them good health and clear minds so they could continue to thrive in their future endeavors.

"The retirement of Aliyu and Aninweke should expectedly come with the tons and tons of tributes and commendations that we have witnessed so far. This is because these two distinguished individuals have come, seen and conquered. Indeed, they left their feet in the sand of times for their sterling performances in various capacities where they creditably served while in the services of the Commission," he said.

Aliyu's journey since joining the NCC in May 1996 was recounted by Mr. Usman Malah, Director, Human Capital and Administration, who also praised Aliyu for his commitment and several accomplishments, including some enormous ones while he worked in the Kano Zonal Office. He remembered his accomplishments as a Senior Manager at the Kano Zonal Office in January 1997 and his subsequent relocation as a Principal Manager to the Lagos Zonal Office in January 2001. Malah talked about how Aliyu never stopped working, even when he was named the zonal controller in Lagos and then in Kano.

Director and oversaw the Economic Analysis division until being elevated to Deputy Director and named Head of the Administration Division in October 2018. In addition, Aliyu worked for the Consumer Affairs Department, the Project Department, and the Administration Department again before retiring.

Aninweke was noted to have worked in a number of NCC departments during his historic tenure there, including Licensing (Tariff and Charges) and Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement (CME), before being transferred as Principal Manager to the Lagos Zonal Office in July 2011 to serve as its Zonal Controller.

Aninweke, who served as the zonal controller for the Lagos Zonal Office for almost six years, had a significant influence there through his contributions and performances. He is well remembered for his work in Lagos, where he was recognized as the zonal controller with the best performance.

Chief Aninweke, who joined the NCC in 2001 as a Deputy Manager, was praised for giving his all to the organization and the country. He also had a history of successful and reliable performance at the Commission.

The project's director, Mrs. Abigail Sholanke, recalls Aninweke's arrival and how his commitment to his work resulted in numerous visible accomplishments across the board. He claimed that Aninweke's self-motivation, fearlessness in the face of responsibility, and aptitude for academic excellence made him a kind that would be difficult to forget.

He was transferred to the Corporate Planning, Strategy and Risk Management (CPSRM) Department at the Head Office in 2017 as a result of his success as the Zonal Controller in Lagos. There, he oversaw several units, including Performance Management, Policy Review, Strategy, Risk Management, and then Digital Economy (which started as a Unit in CPSRM). Aninweke developed and provided the groundwork for the present Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024 while working in the CPSRM Department.

In addition to his responsibilities at the Commission, he was twice elected to serve as the President of the NCC Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society, a role he appropriately and cumulatively held for four years while he was employed. During this time, he made significant leadership advancements.

Aninweke has held the position of match commissioner in Nigerian football for a number of years and is currently regarded as one of the top professional football referees in the world of sports.