Thumbs up for Momoh Konte!

The appointment of Momoh Konte as Chairman of the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM), the country’s regulating body for telecommunications companies and their operations, has opened a window of opportunity not only for consumers but for the Commission itself to experience advancement and exposure to innovations.

The National Telecommunications Company (NATCOM) was set up in post- war era after the proliferation of mobile companies in the country.Since its establishment, it has been one of the most successful institutions in the country. It allots frequencies to radio stations, introduce and regulate tariffs of the telecommunication industry, formulates and enforces policies that are meant to enhance fair competition and ethical practice, protect consumers and enforce compliance to statutory regulations relating to the telecommunication industry.

Several prominent personalities have been appointed in the past to serve as chairmen on the Commission’s Board of Directors and Momoh Konte (photo) is the latest.

He has a wealth of experience in business and telecommunications consultancy which he acquired both within and out of the country. He holds a Masters degree from Howard University in the United States. He has spent several years abroad engaged in international business and returned home to set up a business consultancy which he has been running for some years. He has, over the years, offered innovative ideas to businesses including telecommunication companies which have proved to be very beneficial to them.

When I saw the banner headlines that carried the news of his appointment as chairman of NATCOM, I came to the conclusion that President Ernest Bai Koroma is now becoming pragmatic, and pragmatism is the declared philosophy of the All People Congress(APC) .

It is enshrined in the first constitution of the party when it was founded in the 60s. Pragmatism was a philosophical concept adopted by the founder of the APC, the late Siaka Probyn Stevens as a guide to his reign in the country.

Siaka Stevens was a realist, as the philosophical concept itself demanded, and he proved to be a successful leader. It is a philosophy propagated by John Dewey of the US. President Ernest Koroma came to power with Corporatism but has been adopting some amount of pragmatism in recent times. Apparently that has helped him to make some realistic gains.

I have known Momoh Konte and we have been friends for years.I have had many friends some of whom have climbed to the higher rungs of society’s ladder but quickly forget that yesterday we were together, but Momoh Konte has been different.

When it comes to decision-making it is characteristic of him to ensure that there is fairness and there will be the greatest benefit to the majority. There are many things for which I admire him. He is not only friendly and forthright, but also pragmatic, and that has been responsible for his success in life.

He has never had an interest in throwing his hat into the political ring even though he has the wherewithal to do so. He is always on the back seat when it comes to politics. But one thing which he cannot hide is that he is a Koinadugu maniac. He loves Kabala, his home town so much that he has been spending part of his wealth helping the needy and embarking on development in his home district. He was at the forefront of fighting the Ebola pandemic In Koinadugu in the north of the country since its outbreak in May last year..

Now that Momoh Konte is on the driver’s seat at NATCOM, there are hopes that he would use his business and administrative acumen to lift the Commission to higher heights.

Many people who know him say,Thumbs up for Momoh Konte!