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Tag: Pantami

  • Buhari’s Minister, Pantami not responsible for ex-Kaduna Governor, Patrick Yakowa’s death – CAN

    Buhari’s Minister, Pantami not responsible for ex-Kaduna Governor, Patrick Yakowa’s death – CAN

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter, has warned against linking the death of former Kaduna State governor Patrick Yakowa to Dr Isa Pantami.
    The state Chairman, Rev. John Hayab, gave the warning in a statement issued on Thursday in Kaduna.
    Hayab was a former special adviser on Religious Affairs to late Yakowa.
    “I have followed the unfolding saga and some allegations against the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami.
    “As someone very close to the late Yakowa, I call on all Nigerians to ignore the insinuations linking Pantami with Sir Yakowa’s death, endangering national peace.
    “I call on security agencies to step in and tame the circulation of such dangerous documents.
    “We cannot afford to stock fire when we should be pouring more water,” Hayab said.
    “However, I am alarmed by the dangerous turns of events, especially the issue linked with the release of some documents with doubtful authenticity linking the minister (Pantami) and the Muslim community with the death of Yakowa.
    “The church and Yakowa’s family consider the allegation very serious with a possible adverse impact on peace and national security ” he cautioned.
    Hayab expressed strong reservations and concerns about statements like the ones associated in the past by Pantami as circulated in audios and videos released on social media.
    “Society’s discomforts and disagreements should, however, not be enough reasons for us to approve the circulation of phony and injurious statements against any perceived foe.
    “However, we consider that the communique could be doctored.
    “We are aware that in this age of technological advancements, we have to take any allegations with a pinch of salt until we are confident of the authenticity of the source.”
    He said sensitive documents like the ones purported to be from the JNI meeting in Bauchi should be subjected to thorough security investigation and trials, not tools for social media warfare.
    “The danger of making this a media issue, instead of a legal and security issue that it ought to be, is that we stand to lose the most important point, that of bringing to justice persons accused to have wronged the law.
    “Accordingly, there is a need for circumspection and care so that we do not throw our communities into further chaos in the rush to hang one man.
    “At a time of strained relationships between neighbours, what we need are mediatory interventions and peace building, rather than adding fuel to the raging fire.
    “To be sure, when Sir Yakowa died in an air crash there was no inquiry to determine the cause of his death, aside from the immediate and likely technical fault leading to the helicopter crash.
    “We, the Christian community and indeed his immediate family acknowledged the tragedy, submitting to the will of God Almighty.
    “For that purpose, there is no point, now or later, to open up what will not bring back our leader and father but rather open up old wounds in a very controversial manner,” he said.
    He therefore advised those with an axe to grind with Pantami to do so within their limits.
    He said “as a Church leader, I chose to speak because of my deep belief that justice is natural and we shall live to account before our Lord.
    “Besides, if we support unverified allegations against someone today because we loathe the person, the monster could be deployed against us or someone we cherish tomorrow”.
    Hayab further advised those who feel they have information to help the security agencies investigate whatever crimes against groups or individuals should do so within the provided window, without exacerbating the tension of formulating tales in the public space.
  • Why Pantami sailed through DSS screening-Amachree

    Why Pantami sailed through DSS screening-Amachree

    Former Assistant Director with the Department of State Services, Dennis Amachree, has noted that the secret police screened the embattled Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, before his confirmation as minister in 2019.

    Amachree made this known during an online interview with Punch on Wednesday.

    He, however stated that the minister must have navigated through the DSS and Senate screenings due to a lot of factors including federal character balancing.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Pantami, a former director-general with the National Information Technology Development Agency, is the only member of the Federal Executive Council from Gombe State.

    He was recently slammed over his past controversial remarks on terrorist groups including Taliban and Al-Qaeda. After initial denials, the minister later denounced his radical comments, saying he now knows better but Nigerians have been unsparing and relentless in the call for the sacking of the minister.

    Amachree said, “There is no information that escapes the DSS, we have all of it, all. When I was working there, we keep a catalogue of anybody of interest that comes up to limelight in this country.

    “During the vetting process for anybody to be appointed a minister or commissioner or anything, your name is sent to the SSS for vetting. They check your background up to the extent of your grandmother. They check your schools up to the extent of your primary school. And of course, they keep a tab on you online and offline. We get a lot from open source intelligence and I can tell you that in Pantami’s case, we have it.

    “But there is a political angle to it. When somebody is being appointed, if the security agencies see that there is something wrong with his name, they will send it to the appointing agency. The appointing agency will now decide amongst other variables either religious variable, federal character balancing variable, or political variable and say that, ‘Oh, yes, we know that this guy has this and that but let’s appoint him.

    “So, the political decision is not taken by the SSS. Even when you go to the Senate for confirmation, there is party by party and you can see that there are some political candidates that the opposition party will say that this one will not be appointed but because he belongs to that party, they will appoint him. So, these are political and federal balancing where they will say that there is nobody from this place that has been appointed, so let’s appoint him.”

    The ex-DSS director added that the United States was gathering information on the communications minister.

    “He (Pantami) has just submitted his name into US database. The cataloguing of people is not automatic, it comes in drips and drops. Now, people are talking about him and that has come to the attention of the United States Embassy in Nigeria already. Now, they will do a deeper dive into his background. They will catalogue him and now they will start watching him and if it comes to a very critical level, they will place him on a no-fly zone.”

     

  • Pantami attends FEC meeting as FG keeps mum on calls for his removal

    Pantami attends FEC meeting as FG keeps mum on calls for his removal

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Wednesday with the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami in attendance, and the Federal Government keeping mum on overwhelming calls for his removal.

    President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the meeting which was held at the State House with Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari physically in attendance.

    After the meeting, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed was questioned by state house correspondents on the council’s disposition towards increasing calls for Pantami’s removal.

    Lai Mohammed simply replied that the issue was not discussed at the council meeting.

    Pantami has been under fire for his radical preachings and pro-terrorists comments, which he says he has since denounced.

    The calls for Pantami’s removal gained momentum over the weekend as Human rights activists, social media users, and even the opposition party PDP called for the removal of Pantami over statements he made in the past in support of Islamic extremist groups.

    The increasing calls follow the revealing of audio recordings of Mr Pantami’s past teachings where he declared support for Al-Qaeda and Taliban.

    This generated debates on social media platforms with many Nigerians calling for his removal and others defending the Minister who is also an Islamic Cleric.

    In response, Pantami denied any links with the groups. He, however, admitted making the controversial statements supporting the groups but said he has since renounced those radical assertions.

    According to Pantami, the past radical ideas he was championing were due to age, immaturity, and limited knowledge. This excuse however has not calmed the Twitter storm which is threatening to sweep him from office.

  • ‘Extremist views’: No reasonable govt will allow Pantami remain in office – Wike

    ‘Extremist views’: No reasonable govt will allow Pantami remain in office – Wike

    Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has asked Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr. Isa Pantami to resign immediately irrespective of his recent volte-face.

    The Governor said in an ideal society, the allegation that the United States of America placed a serving Minister on its watch list was enough to propel the government into action.

    A statement signed by Wike’s Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said the Governor spoke on Tuesday during an interview with the African Independent Television (AIT) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    He described as worrisome the decision of the Federal Government to remain mute amidst the raging controversy about the Minister’s sympathy for global terrorist groups.

    “I don’t understand why a reasonable government will allow such a person to be in the cabinet,” he said.

    The Governor said the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government was known for its proclivity to shield persons of questionable characters even when the country’s secret service presented overwhelming evidence against such individuals.

    He said: “But you were here when DSS wrote a report against (Ibrahim) Magu. What happened? Look, I have never seen a country that your secret service wrote a report about the nominee of Mr President, questioning his character and the rest, and that he is not appointable. What happened? So, what are you talking about. What removed Magu is a power play.

    Wike also took a swipe on the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for not taking stern disciplinary action against former Niger Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, who recently claimed he conspired with others to ensure that President Goodluck Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election.

    He said: “If I was the leadership of the party I would have suspended Aliyu for that comment he made. But, you see nothing will happen. The National Working Committee will not do anything. Why? They need Aliyu to support them.

    “I cannot understand why you are a leader, so to speak, you come out and tell the world why you fought your party. I have never seen a thing like in my life. Assuming you did it, you now want to rub it on them and that nothing will happen.

    “If I was the leadership of the party, I would have suspended Aliyu and heavens will not fall. What does he want to achieve. This was 2015, we have done 2019 election. Jonathan had lost in 2015, why do you come out now to say how you fought him. Look at where we are today. So, you are telling us you made us to be in this position where we are.

    “You are telling Nigerians that you are one of those who have kept Nigeria in this state that we are. And then the National Working Committee will not do anything because Aliyu Babangida is one of the untouchables.”

  • Pantami rain curses on Adeyanju with Allah over letter to US, deletes post after 350 comments

    Pantami rain curses on Adeyanju with Allah over letter to US, deletes post after 350 comments

    Communications and Digital Economy minister, Dr. Isa Pantami, created a buzz on Facebook when he placed a curse on the Convener of a human rights group, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, over his letter to the United States of America to place him on the Terrorism Watchlist.

    Pantami used the opportunity of a post on Facebook by one Datti Assalafiy to place the curse on Adeyanju, who once worked with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party.

    Assalafiy had written: “The non-Muslim, Deji Adeyanju, hates Islam and Muslims, supports the abuse of Islam and Muslims on his social media.

    “He is one of the enemies of Nigeria’s peace that has won a contract to spread the #ENDSARS crisis on social media which has cost Nigeria more than N3 trillion.

    “He is the one who has now written a letter of complaint to the US Embassy in Abuja, requesting that the United States place Sheikh Dr Isa Ali Pantami on a list of people responsible for terrorist activities around the world, and that the embassy accepted his complaint.

    “No matter the fate and destiny, there is nothing to associate with these pagans who hate us all the time and their parents.

    “O Allah, show this pagan one of your verses, may Allah grant him a long life in hardship and humility to witness the glory of Malam Isa Ali Pantami and the Muslims in Nigeria. Amen Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum.”

    Commenting on the post with his verified Facebook page, Pantami wrote in Hausa: “Allah ya tsine masa alubarika.”

    Translated, this means: “May Allah rebuke his blessings.”

    However, Pantami was to later delete the comment after it had garnered over 350 replies, with most of them not in his favour.

    Adeyanju had in a letter dated April 11, 2021, with the the heading: “Terrorist Watchlist – Isa Pantami,” addressed to the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said Pantami, being a senior member of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration should not be a supporter of world’s extremist leaders such as Mullah Omar and Osama Bin Laden.

    He said if the allegation is true, “he (Pantami) should not hold a sensitive position and be in charge of the database of Nigerians.”

  • Don’t succumb to cheap blackmail- MURIC tells Pantami

    Don’t succumb to cheap blackmail- MURIC tells Pantami

    The Muslim Rights Concern has urged the Minister of Communications and Digital Planning, Dr. Isa Pantami, to disregard calls for his resignation.

    MURIC made the call on Monday in a statement issued by its director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola.

    The organization alleged that internet fraudsters and kidnappers were behind the online movement against the minister.

    Pantami has been under fire lately over remarks he allegedly made several years ago in support of Al-Qaeda – an extremist group founded by the late Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. Bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011, by the US Navy SEALs inside a private residential compound in Pakistan.

    Pantami also made remarks in support of Taliban, a Sunni Islamist movement and military organization in Afghanistan currently waging jihad within the country.

    Part of the statement read, “It is a baseless call and it should be ignored. After all, the US itself has denied it. Pantami has been enjoying unhindered multiple entries to the US for a very long time. Even Facebook, the US-based social media giant had Pantami’s picture on Facebook’s digital board for several hours as a mark of honor and respect during one of his numerous visits to that country.

    “The campaign of calumny is being pushed by forces against the Federal Government’s NIN policy, Boko Haram terrorists, bandits, criminals in general and political IDPs (Internally Displaced Politicians). No one who has the love of Nigeria at heart will support such a malicious and frivolous allegation.

    “It is a well-known fact that NIN is designed to expose the true identity of criminals like Yahoo Yahoo boys, bandits and kidnappers who use the internet and telephone to extort money from foreigners and families of kidnapped victims. They live a life of Mr. Jekyll and Hyde : respected gentlemen in the day but dangerous criminals at night and on lonely alleys.

    “They have become jittery ever since the NIN policy was introduced by Pantami’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Policy. They are among those who stand to benefit from Pantami’s resignation. As for the political IDPs, their motive is to ensure that no project initiated by the current administration succeeds.

    “The implications of Pantami’s resignation at this crucial stage are too gloomy to contemplate. It is a national security issue. The NIN scheme, our hope for dealing a technical blow on terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping and all sorts of criminality in the country will suffer suffocating palpitations. There will be a break in monitoring. It is better for us to allow the man who started it to finish it. If any problem arises after we have changed hands in the middle of its implementation, the new boss will easily shift the blame. It will then be a double tragedy. Let the beginner be the finisher. #beginnermustbefinisher

    “In the interest of our great country, Nigeria, we, therefore, charge Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami to ignore calls for his resignation. An agitation for resignation which is not based on sincerity and truth must be resisted by patriots. This campaign for the minister’s resignation is in bad taste. It is pregnant with ulterior motives. Pantami must not surrender. He must not succumb to cheap blackmail. A captain does not abandon ship in stormy waters. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

    “On the issue of statements credited to Pantami in his younger days, we wonder how detractors would give preference to pronouncements made by a teenager and those made in the days of students’ unionism to those made after maturity and clairvoyance. It is sheer mischief to seek to use that against him.”

     

  • More woes for Pantami as PDP demands his sack, asks DSS to probe minister

    More woes for Pantami as PDP demands his sack, asks DSS to probe minister

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami after several reports portrayed his past extreme religious views.

    Pantami had for the first time acknowledged his past views but noted that he has since renounced those radical assertions.

    According to Pantami, the past radical ideas he was championing were due to age, immaturity, and limited knowledge.

    But the PDP in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja, asked the Department of State Service to quiz the Minister.

    “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 statement partly read.

    “The party also demands that President Muhammadu Buhari should immediately sack the minister, given the sensitivity of the issue at stake.”

    The main opposition party explained that its 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.”

    It also expressed worry 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.”

    While urging Nigerians to remain alert and very sensitive to their environment, the PDP said the masses should not hesitate in providing useful information to our security agencies in the interest of our nation.

  • Pantami renounces past controversial comments on terrorists as calls for his resignation thickens

    Pantami renounces past controversial comments on terrorists as calls for his resignation thickens

    Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Ali Isa Pantami, who was under attack over his controversial comments on Al Qaeda and Taliban in the past has renounced those comments saying he now has a better understanding of the issues involved.

    This was even as he said his attacks by a section of the media was politically motivated.

    Recall, social media users and some pundits have called for Pantami’s resignation over his comments.

    However, during his daily Ramadan lecture at Al-Noor Mosque in Abuja on Saturday, the minister said he now knows better about some of the comments he made in the past.

    “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.”

    The embattled Pantami has been facing the heat over his alleged link with terrorist groups with many Nigerians calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the minister.

    The Nigerian Twitter community also said it was risky to trust the Minister with data of Nigerians, especially with the ongoing National Identification Number and Subscriber Identity Module integration exercise und

  • BREAKING: Buhari’s minister, Pantami breaks silence on alleged link with Boko Haram, US terror watch list saga

    BREAKING: Buhari’s minister, Pantami breaks silence on alleged link with Boko Haram, US terror watch list saga

    Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, on Monday addressed reports alleging that the United States placed him on a ‘terror watch list’ for alleged ties with the late Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf.

    In his reaction, Pantami, an Islamic cleric, said he has been preaching against the terrorist sect for over 15 years.

    Social media platform, Twitter, was agog on Monday when the reports published by some news platforms, went viral.

    The reports also say before his appointment as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, Pantami was a known Islamic preacher who held dangerous views against the American govern­ment with allegiance to Al-Qaeda.

    The platforms have also substantiated their stories by establishing a nexus between Pantami’s alleged ties with terrorists and an old video of the minister debating Boko Haram founderMohammed Yusuf.

    While some critics of the minister have dragged him over the unconfirmed reports and allegations, his supporters have since taken to his defence. As of the time of filing this report, the minister’s name, Isa Pantami, topped Twitter trends with over 18,000 tweets.

    Patami’s words, “My lectures against the doctrines and all other evil people have been available for over 15 years, including debates that endangered my life against many criminals in Nigeria. If you can’t understand Hausa, get an objective Hausa speaker to translate for you objectively.”

    The minister advised Nigerians who were yet to link their Subscriber Identification Modules with their valid National Identity Numbers to do so before May 6, 2021, adding that the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was poised to expose criminal elements through the NIN-SIM data linkage.

    “On the issue of NIN-SIM verification to fight insecurity, there is no going back. Our priority as government based on the provision of our constitution 1999 (as amended) Section 14(2)b is security, not just economy. For sure, no going back at all. Let’s the sponsors continue,” Pantami said.

  • We’ve so far registered 51m for NIN, 189m SIM cards – Minister

    We’ve so far registered 51m for NIN, 189m SIM cards – Minister

    The Federal Government says it has so far enrolled 51 million citizens for the National Identification Number (NIN) as at March 31, 2021.

    Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, made this known at the weekly Presidential Media briefing organized by the Presidential Communication Media Team in Abuja on Thursday.

    He also revealed that about 189 million subscribers of the Identification Module (SIM) had been registered in the country.

    According to the minister, only 150 million out of the 189million have successfully completed their registration while the remaining have problems of improper registration.

    Pantami reminded all citizens to enroll for the NIN, warning that those yet to obtain the NIN risk seven or 14 years imprisonment as stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution.

    “Based on the requirement by law each and every citizen and legal resident must obtain his/her National Identification Number (NIN), which is being coordinated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). It’s a requirement by law but many citizens ignore it.

    “What we achieved in the area of enrolment from the time Mr President has directed me to supervise NIMC till date is unprecedented and we would continue to ensure that in the next few years we have an almost a complete data base of all our citizens in the country.

    “No country will be successful in education, health, budget planning or national planning without data base of its citizens in place.

    “What I inherited in the data base was less than 20 per cent of our population. But we want to ensure that before we leave office we would look at the data base and be proud of our country,’’ he said.

    According to him, while obtaining a SIM card maybe optional, NIN is mandatory, noting that a lot of transactions in the country are not supposed to be carried out without NIN.