Buffeted on his past endorsement of terrorists and terrorism, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Isa Pantami, appears to be buckling under pressure, and seeking to deflect criticisms by renouncing his previous comments.
A Nigerian professor and regular newspaper columnist based in the United States of America (USA), Farook Kperogi, who says he is a friend of the minister was the first to publicly advise him to renounce his previous comments and beliefs, if he expected to be taken seriously.
Another US-based professor of African History, Moses Ochonu, cautioned the minister to tread carefully when he threatened to sue a newspaper.
Pantami is now blaming immaturity and a lack of proper understanding of international events for his previous positions; but the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not let him go easily.
It is calling on the Department of State Services, which gave him security clearance in the first place, as a prelude to his screening and clearance by the Senate, to invite the minister for questioning over alleged affiliations with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
Pantami’s woes began when a viral message went public of his alleged affiliation to terrorists, and love for the Taliban and Al Qaeda. A newspaper published the report and was forced to retract it, but Pantami’s lawyers insisted on suing.
The American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) desk in Abuja would neither deny nor confirm if Pantami is on its watchlist as alleged in reports, but directed all enquiries to its Washington headquarters.
PDP’s position comes as an old video, released on social media, showing Pantami making weepy claims and allegedly inciting his listeners at a gathering, continued to gain traction. He spoke in the Hausa language.
He said his attack in the media, in the last few weeks, is politically motivated.
Speaking during his daily Ramadan lecture at Al-Noor Mosque in Abuja on Saturday, Pantami said, “For 15 years, I have moved around the country while educating people about the dangers of terrorism. I have travelled to Katsina, Gombe, Borno, Kano states and Difa in the Niger Republic to preach against terrorism.
“I have engaged those with Boko Haram ideologies in different places. I have been writing pamphlets in Hausa, English and Arabic.
“I have managed to bring back several young persons who have derailed from the right path.
“Some of the comments I made some years ago that are generating controversies now were based on my understanding of religious issues at the time, and I have changed several positions taken in the past based on new evidence and maturity.
“I was young when I made some of the comments; I was in university, some of the comments were made when I was a teenager.
“I started preaching when I was 13, many scholars and individuals did not understand some of the international events and therefore took some positions based on their understanding, some have come to change their positions later.”
However, the PDP joined the growing call for his sack by President Muhammadu Buhari. Others, fearing that the minister, presiding over the personal details of Nigerians in the on-going National Identity registration and link to mobile numbers was a dangerous thing, have asked him to resign.
In its statement, the PDP said, “
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) charges the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately invite the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, for questioning over alleged affiliations with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
“The party also demands that President Muhammadu Buhari should immediately sack the minister, given the sensitivity of the issue at stake.
“Our party’s position is predicated on the heightening concerns in the public space and in the international arena of possible compromises by the communication minister, who has access to sensitive government documents and information, in addition to data of all individuals including high profile personalities in the public and private sectors as well as the traditional and faith-based circles.
“The PDP is particularly worried about allegations in the public suggesting that the minister compromised the NIN registration exercise by giving room for the registration of aliens and invaders from other countries as our citizens.
“The party tasks the DSS to investigate the allegation, which has created apprehension, particularly given the rise in banditry and other terrorists activities in our country.
“The PDP urges Nigerians to remain at alert and very sensitive to their environment, while not hesitating in providing useful information to our security agencies in the interest of our nation.”
