Re: As Buhari prepares to name his cabinet

Ostensibly, his grouse was that these authors are denting his vigorous campaign for the incoming President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, to appoint his friend as Minister of Communication Technology, or return him as Executive Commissioner of NCC, or better still given another Federal Government appointment. Gwandu was a former executive commissioner of NCC for five years, […]

Ostensibly, his grouse was that these authors are denting his vigorous campaign for the incoming President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, to appoint his friend as Minister of Communication Technology, or return him as Executive Commissioner of NCC, or better still given another Federal Government appointment. Gwandu was a former executive commissioner of NCC for five years, and after two years of his second tenure, which was his last by statutes, he was dismissed by President Goodluck Jonathan, for “gross misconduct”.
Gumel argued that the dismissal was a witch-hunt because his friend revealed huge spectrum racketeering at the telecom regulatory body, an accusation that had been roundly proven to be utter falsehood. It should be stated that the findings of a disciplinary committee set up to allow Gwandu defend himself also found him culpable in more than 20 allegations of misconduct not related to spectrum, including ordering the opening of a private firm Cobranet, whose offices were sealed by the Commission for contravening some directives of the Commission, thereby sabotaging the management of the regulatory agency.
Gumel failed to inform his readers that his friend was given the opportunity to defend himself and that he provided both oral and documented evidence but failed to convince the committee with whose reference he was handed down the dismissal via a letter signed by the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. Gummel argued that since Bashir found a reprieve in the industrial court which found the process – not the reasons for his dismissal – irregular and ordered that he be paid compensation, that he has been restored whole. But he did not disclose that the same court ruled that Gwandu should not be allowed to go back to the regulatory Commission, giving some of the issues brought about the dismissal.
Yet, Gumel seeks to drag the incoming President into the murky waters created by his friend which resulted in his dismissal. He wants the incoming President to be contemptuous of an existing court judgment which bars his friend from coming back to the Commission, or ministry, from where he was dismissed in the first place.
Something curious about Gumel’s campaign in the social media and newspapers, is the hate and calumny with which he fights against anybody that has contrary opinion. He wants everyone to believe him that his friend of 20 years, as he admitted, is the ‘crème de la crème of the telecom industry in Nigeria, not forgetting to unleash his complete curriculum vitae to convince the incoming government that it cannot do without such a man.
The first question is why Nigerian-born teacher of mathematical biology at the Arizona State University, USA, has found a vocation in promoting the interest of only one man, as the best in Nigeria such that he will become indispensable in the new government.
In his campaigns, he has denied being induced to promote Gwandu’s return but when you reflect on how the mathematics teacher has carried on without looking back or reflecting on the issues involved, you must not but agree that this is beyond mere friendship!
The argument about frequency racketeering which Gumel has dwelt so much on, is not sounding like a broken drum. He has dismissed the fact that the Presidency set up a committee to verify his claims and found it to be spurious. He lashes on an allegation made by his friend which he is yet to substantiate. His thought figures around in the claim about frequency racketeering, yet he knows the road to the offices of the security agencies where he would have reported if he has any evidence. He claims that some frequencies were sold in the UK for a much higher price than what it was sold at the NCC in Nigeria. He wants his readers to believe him because he was repeating Gwandu’s unsubstantiated allegations in 2011.
He claims that Gwandu negotiated frequency spectrum worth $50 Billion for Nigeria but would not admit his ignorance about how frequencies are secured at the ITU by regions, represented by administrations led by the Minister of Communication Technology, and not a staff of one organization assigned to work with one of the several committees on behalf of his organization. And he also forgot to tell his readers how his friend, Gwandu, snatched the Nigerian flag from the representative of the Minister at the ITU conference in Geneva, Switzerland, thereby causing the nation a huge embarrassment of monumental proportions.
No matter how Gumel wants to present his case because he is “a very close friend” of Gwandu, he must be fair to those who have contrary views.  He must not bore us with mundane claims about his friend’s closeness to incoming President Buhari because the General will be president of Nigeria, and not President of his clime, or his friend. He will be shocked that this President-elect will not pander to such sentiments and he has said so, publicly.
Adebayo wrote from Lagos