NEWS Spio Garbrah to step down as Head of CTO Spio-Garbrah has, however, agreed to make himself available to offer The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Commonwealth any newly-appointed CEO such ongoing advisory support as may be Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has necessary for him or her to discharge their duties effectively. given notice to the international governing Council of the CTO that Dr. Spio-Garbrah’s tenure at the helm of the CTO is credited with he intends to step down as CEO of the London-based international having transformed the CTO from a relatively little known international organisation in 2011 and will not seek another four-year mandate. body to one which today casts a long shadow across the global ICT space Discussions about the CEO’s succession plan process was one of and has become a leader in promoting ideas several major agenda items at the just-concluded about how to link rural communities in Africa CTO Council meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from and elsewhere to the global ICT system. The 16-17 September 2010. Other discussions on the CTO’s Annual Report for the 2009-10 operational agenda during the meetings included presentations period, which was also outdoored at the Colombo on the CTO’s current three-year Strategic Plan meeting, catalogues a long list of achievements approval, the operational and administrative of the Organisation over the past year. Dr. budgets for 2010-12, acceptance of the Auditor’s Spio-Garbrah’s tenure has seen a number of report for the 2009-10 financial year, appointment new member countries, including Rwanda of auditors for the next audit period, and the and Southern Sudan, join the organisation. approval of a time-table to establish a US$300 There was also an increase in CTO membership million Commonwealth Telecom Development by global telecom companies, such as Nokia, Fund which will assist Commonwealth countries to Ericsson, Blackberry inventor RIM, India’s improve their ICT infrastructures. 300,000 employee-base BSNL, and the joining Dr. Spio-Garbrah was appointed to the top Dr. Spio-Garbrah was appointed as the of many ICT regulatory agencies. Under Dr. international post in 2003 after a global search to CEO of the CTO in 2003 after a global Spio-Garbrah’s leadership, the CTO has been able which some 100 ICT experts from around the globe search to which some 100 ICT experts to fully purchase its own London headquarters responded. He is reportedly the first African to have from around the globe responded, building. The CTO has in recent years also won headed the Commonwealth Telecommunications and under the CTO’s constitution, he is a number of competitively-bid consultancy Organisation since its beginnings in 1901. Although eligible for re-appointment. contracts from the World Bank, UNICEF and other he is eligible under the CTO’s constitution to be agencies. The CTO has in the last two years created the African Universal re-appointed to another term, he decided to forgo another four-year Service and Access Fund Association (AUSAFA), of which the Ghana mandate in order, according to him, to devote time to God, family, Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) was elected a other business interests and politics in his home country, Ghana. He is Vice President at an annual meeting in Accra. currently a Vice Chairman of Ghana’s ruling NDC Party. The CTO Council has instructed its Executive Committee to begin the In a paper on a Succession Plan presented to the CTO Council by process for the recruitment of a replacement for Dr. Spio-Garbrah. Under Dr. Spio-Garbrah on behalf of the Executive Committee (ExCo) of the the CTO Constitution, the CEO must be selected by an internationally CTO, Dr. Spio-Garbrah explained that he considered it a mark of good competitive process with the assistance of an executive search firm. governance that leaders should be able to train and develop others to According to that Constitution, candidates for the post of the CEO and take over from them, or to make arrangements for their exit such that others can build on their efforts. Although a number of delegations from their governments must not lobby for the post, as candidates are to be member countries wished for Dr. Spio-Garbrah to reconsider his decision selected purely on merit and competence. A candidate whose country lobbies on his or her behalf stands to be disqualified from the process, or to explain his motives further, the CEO held to his position that it was the Constitution states. AT time for the Organisation to begin the search for his replacement. Dr.
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Issue 9