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Again, NCC Boss, Danbatta, receives award on impactful leadership

The trove of garlands for the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, swelled again as he received “Leadership Excellence and Economic Impact Award”.
KANO FOCUS reports that this time, the honour came from the African Leadership Organisation (ALO), publishers of The African Leadership Magazine.
The conferment of the award occurred recently at the ALO’s annual Africa Legislative, Legal and Good Governance Conference which took place at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja, where ALO rallied stakeholders to its conference focused on “Policy, Justice and Global Cooperation for Building Back Better”. The ALO organised the event in collaboration with the National Bar Association (NBA) of the United States of America.
Africa Leadership Organisation was unequivocal that Danbatta was deserving of the award because of his outstanding achievements as the Chief Telecom Regulator in Nigeria, especially over the past five years, during which the country’s telecom sector has shown spectacular landmarks.

These concrete, measurable signposts, according to ALO include the successful auction of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band marked for the deployment of the Fifth Generation (5G) networks, and the uncommon regulatory strides of his in continually creating a level-playing field for investors especially to reflate telecom-induced growth of the economy in the post-pandemic era.
Presenting the award to Danbatta, the Chairman, ALO, Dr. Ken Giami, emphasised that in keeping with the ALO’s tradition of celebrating African excellence and achievement, it has continued to showcase the bright sides of the continent’s success stories by giving recognition to deserving individuals.
Giami was emphatic that one of the individuals, whose efforts have been instrumental to the growth of the Nigerian economy is Prof. Danbatta.
“Danbatta’s visionary contribution to the society is making our communities better place for all and his contribution continues to shape Africa’s socio-economic growth and development. Danbatta has exemplified resilience, determination, and commitment in business and policy landscapes despite the diverse challenges on the continent. This is why we are recognising him today as an icon of leadership,” Giami said leaving no one in doubt on the significance of the Award.
Reiterating the objective of ALO, Giami asserted that, at the heart of ALO’s founding philosophy is the passion for the progress of the continent, all Africans and people of African descent.
He stated that the Organisation’s philosophy explains its tireless showcasing of opportunities in Africa and African excellence to the global community.
Receiving the award on behalf of Danbatta, a Deputy Director at the Legal and Regulatory Services Department of NCC, Chizwa Whyte, appreciated ALO for the award and stated that the NCC considers it another encouraging milestone to do more in regulating the nation’s telecommunications sector.
Whyte equally commended ALO for the recognition of the excellent leadership offered by the NCC Boss in taking the telecoms industry in Nigeria to a higher level of significance and relevance.
“This recognition is a clarion call to us to do more for the industry by ensuring good policies and regulatory initiatives are emplaced to ensure the Federal Government’s policy direction on digital economy is achieved,” Whyte said.
The African Leadership Organisation has committed the last 14 years to promoting good governance and impactful leadership on the Continent, and promoting African opportunities and African dignity globally.
The objective of ALO is being achieved through the promotion of Afrocentric and reputation-boosting contents, the facilitation of African trade and market entry solutions across communities and business networking platforms, as well as through public sector training and consulting.

Headlines
Gov Yusuf rejects tribunal judgement, heads to appeal court

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has vowed to appeal the judgement of the governorship election tribunal which nullified his election and declared the APC candidate, Nasiru Yusuf Gawauna as the winner.

KANO FOCUS reports that Yusuf made the declaration on Wednesday night, while making a broadcast to the people of the state.
He said his legal team had been directed to appeal the judgement at the court of appeal in order to reclaim the mandate given to him by the people of the State.
He, therefore, Called on the good people of the state to remain calm and continue to be law abiding as security agents have been directed to ensure the safety of lives and property of the citizens.
“Let me assure you that the this government would continue to work for the development of the people of the state as the judgement will never dampen our spirit or discourage us from the good work we have started.” he said.
The Governor, who thanked the people of the state for their continued support and cooperation, urged them to go about with normal activities.

Headlines
Kano records 5,800 cases of Diphtheria – UNICEF

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Tuesday, said that Kano State has recorded 5,800 suspected cases of Diphtheria from January to date.

KANO FOCUS reports that the Head, UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Mr Rahama Mohammned-Farah, stated this in Kano during a one-day media orientation on Diphtheria outbreak.
The UN Agency said the cases were recorded in 39 local government areas of the state.
According to him, Kano State has the highest number of recorded cases in the country, adding that Diphtheria was a highly contagious and infectious disease that could cause death.
Mohammned-Farah stressed that proactive measures were necessary to stem the outbreak.
“Recently, we have seen a surge in the number of reported Diphtheria cases in Nigeria, and Nigeria is currently facing an outbreak that needs to be stopped and prevented.
“As of July, Diphtheria cases have been on the rise. As of last week, over 400 suspected cases with 11 deaths have been reported in Kano.
“Out of the 39 LGAs affected, eight are the most affected, including Ungogo with 2,651 cases; Dala 989, Fagge 943, Gwale 714, Kumbotso 713, Nasarawa 538, Kano Municipal 506 and Tarauni 269,” he said.
He said that 60.8 per cent of the suspected cases had been reported in children not vaccinated, which reinforced the critical need to address the issue of zero doses, especially in Kano State.
“UNICEF delivered 1.2 million vaccines to the Kano State Government in our continuing support to the government response to Diphtheria outbreak.
“Diphtheria outbreak is a threat to child survival, health and the wellbeing of children. UNICEF is collaborating with government and partners to respond to the emergency to save the lives of children affected.
“In Kano state, UNICEF supported Tetanus-Diphtheria reactive vaccination campaigns in February, April and August, vaccinating 23,200 children in round one.
“While 277,796 children vaccinated in round two and 29,500 others in round-3 of the exercise.
“We engaged 150 traditional leaders on Diphtheria outbreak and distribution of Diphtheria IEC materials, and deployed 1,500 VCMs to the worst affected LGAs to conduct house-to-house sensitisations and referral of suspected cases to health facilities.
“Media has a key role to play particularly in infection prevention, and risk communication and community engagement,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Muhammad Nasir-Mahmoud, the Director-General, Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board, said the state government had adopted drastic measures to curtail spread of the disease.
“We are committed towards educating the public about what is happening and the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has promised that Kano will be accorded priority in terms of vaccine distribution,” he said.
While describing the media as partners in the fight against Diphtheria, Nasir-Mahmoud urged them to support the campaign against the disease.

Headlines
IPAC appeals to Kano governorship tribunal to be impartial

Mukhtar Yahya Usman
The Interparty Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) has urged the judges of the Kano election petition tribunal court to discharge its duties with utmost integrity and impartiality.
KANO FOCUS reports that this was contained in a statement issued by the organization secretary Kano chapter Nuhu Idris on Tuesday.
IPAC also called upon the tribunal to consider each case diligently and ensure that all the parties involved are given equal opportunities to present their argument and evidence.
It could be recalled that the election tribunal has fixed Wednesday 20th September 2023 to deliver judgment on APC’s petition against Abba Kabir Yusuf.

A hearing notice issued by the Secretary of the election petition tribunal on Monday said the judgment would be delivered at 9.00 a.m., at the High Court of Miller Road in Kano.
Mr Idris said the organization has acknowledged the importance of the electoral process in a democratic society, where the voice and choice of the people are paramount.
He said the ongoing legal proceedings before the tribunal are a testament to the vibrancy of democracy and the resolve of citizens to seek redress through legal means.
“IPAC firmly believes that justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done.
“We, Therefore, implore the tribunal to maintain transparency in its proceedings allowing the public and all concerned parties to have confidence in the outcome of the legal process, the statement said.
He added that it is essential that the tribunal’s decisions are guided by the rule of law and the facts presented, rather than any external influence.
