Pantami And The Reward Of Extremism In Nigeria

Pantami

 

Anybody who believes that President Muhammadu Buhari would sack his minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami because of the minister’s alleged extremist views and ideology must believe that a camel can pass through the eye of a needle. One question to ask is, why was he appointed a minister and given a strategic ministry like communication and digital economy to man? It must be a reward for his hardline posturing on religion. Just take a look at the person that appointed him. Does the apple fall far from the tree?

Meanwhile leading opposition party in the country has joined the long list of Nigerians calling for the minister to be investigated or be sacked. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately invite the minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, for questioning over his alleged affiliations with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The party has also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the minister, given the sensitivity of the issue at stake.

The national publicity secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement said, "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."

PDP added that it is 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 tasked the DSS to investigate the allegation, which it said has created apprehension, particularly given the rise in banditry and other terrorist activities in our country. I beg to disagree with PDP. Here are my reasons.

Let us be clear about it, Nigerians love and reward extremists of religion and tribe. We are living witnesses to the rebranding of a former thug and OPC leader Gani Adams whose group led several jailbreaks in the South West and killing of Northerners in the Southwest under the guise of protecting Yoruba interest until Obasanjo’s heavy hammer fall on them and they were detained until he left office. It was late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who in search of peace set Gani Adams free to go and sin no more, alongside other extremists that were detained by Obasanjo including the leader of MASSOB, Ralph Uwazuruike, and Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo.

Today Gani Adams has been rewarded with one of the topmost titles of Yoruba land, Aare Ona Kakanfo. And anytime there is insecurity in Yoruba land whether caused by herdsmen or bandits his opinion is sought by local and international media as a major Yoruba leader. Presently Sunday Igboho is the new kid on the block. Do not be surprised if he becomes a governor, senator or minister tomorrow. That is the way we roll in Nigeria. A certain Ateke Tom, notorious for the viciousness of his attacks as a militant leader is today a traditional ruler, crowned and given the staff of office by a Rivers State governor. A certain Kano man who allegedly participated in the killing of an Igbo man in Kano for allegedly desecrating the Islamic Holy Book and paraded his severed head along the streets of Kano, escaped death by whiskers under General Sani Abacha who does not spare fools gladly, as he reportedly escaped out of the country to an East African country. This extremist returned after the death of Abacha and was eventually appointed Emir of Kano.

A cursory look at the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari and the adulation he enjoys in the North shows that holding extremist views pays in Nigeria. Do you think that this adulation for Buhari is because he is the best that the North had to offer in 2015? A Northern Nigeria that has first class brains like Professor Jubril Aminu, Prof Yahaya Kuta Mohammed and Professor Jerry Gana among others who were extremely gifted men and women in the region. It is because Buhari has a track record of protecting his religion and his people. His comments on Boko Haram in which he says that an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the North is documented by the media. See the link. https://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-faults-clampdown-on.../

Pantami had at the time condemned the killing of Boko Haram members by the military. See the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD4Z3r_2Ur0

Worried that Buhari may carry his extremist view to the Aso Rock, Northern leaders led by the late Maitama Sule shortly after he won the 2015 presidential election visited him as the then President-elect and pleaded with him to be the president of all Nigerians and not Northern Nigeria only. See the link. https://www.vanguardngr.com/.../dont-be-northern.../

You can also watch the video of the Northern leaders visit to President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari. See the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY7-ivs4D1I

Having seen how people with extremist views are rewarded with presidency, traditional rulers' crown and all whatnot, it is not surprising that the minister of communication and digital economy held extremist views in the past which paved the way for his very rewarding appointment. The minister has reportedly said that he was called out for things he said in ignorance and that he has since changed his views on such issues. “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 international events and therefore took some

positions based on their understanding, some have come to change their positions later,” Pantami has said in his defence.

He has also regaled us with stories of his deradicalization efforts across the country. Let us accept his explanation and move on. Let us accept that like Saul on his way to Damascus, he has seen the light and thus has become Paul. Those who want to persist in clamouring for his resignation or sack are wasting their time. He will not resign. And Buhari will not sack him. Can we move to the next issue?