More Nigerians on twitter have continued to demand for the resignation of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami over his alleged affiliation with some international terror groups.
Earlier, The New Diplomat reported that Pantami had on Saturday admitted that the statements and comments credited to him on his alleged affiliation with some terrorist sects were made when he was younger.
Speaking at a Ramadan lecture on Saturday in Abuja, Pantami said he had gone round the country in educating the people about the dangers of terrorism.
His word reads, “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 Niger Republic to preach against terrorism.
Pantami added that he had 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.
Speaking further, the Minister said, “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, despite admitting he made those comments when he was younger, Nigerians on the popular microblogging site, Twitter, have intensified the call for the resignation of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Pantami.
Below are some reactions from Twitter on Sunday:
@Dareolomu
He says he made those statements while he was a young scholar, now he says he is grown up and has a better understanding. Did he realize that those statements he made back then might have permanently radicalised those ones under his tutelage
#PantamiResignNow
@EzekielCaleb
Buhari keeping this minister on only sends a message to the international community on the complicity of this administration and most likely previous one in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria. #PantamiResignNow
@Fmariner
If Osama Bin Laden had been a Nigerian and was still alive, Buhari would have appointed him as a minister in his cabinet. We don’t trust terrorist “Osama Bin Pantami” with our sensitive data hence we are demanding #PantamiResign
#PantamiResignNow https://t.co/UNSVcEDAa4
@Jamil
the people might forget, but media space is a village where village people have their agents scattered everywhere to hunt their targets. That’s why it’s said that ‘the media never forgets’. #Anti #PantamiResignNow
@imudia
“The best thing is for Isa Pantemi to resign, apologise to 🇳🇬ns & start preaching against terrorism in the open & to the knowledge of everyone. For now, it’s not in the interest of 🇳🇬ns & national security to continue to keep him in office.”
@ Busolami
Thousands, if not millions of soldiers get ambushed and killed.
NAF jets were gunned down.
You are trying to be politically correct to idiots only when we are still fighting an insurgency.
As a lover of Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, you should resign!
#PantamiResignNow
@Nwa
First he denied ever saying it. Now he is begging under more grievous evidence.
If Pantami said those things in ignorance as he claimed. He won’t deny the first time nor threaten to sue anyone.
He is recanting now because he has been caught pants down.
#PantamiResignNow
@ayemojubar
Today is 18th of April, 2021 and Isa Pantami, Al-Qaeda sympathizer and Osama Bin Laden’s supporter is still the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
#PantamiResignNow
@chocozhere
Today is another day to remind us that an Al-Qaeda sympathizer and Osama Bin Laden’s supporter should never be our comm Minister.
He can never be trusted with personal contact details of ‘Enemies of Allah’
#PantamiResignNow
@john
If @DrIsaPantami can renounce his views and still keep his job , we definitely should make Evans the kidnapper chief of defense staff since he regrets his action then. A Govt of insurgents apologists fighting insurgency. How cool is that ? 🤷🏽♂️
#PantamiResignNow
@onyedika
Kemi Adeosun resigned over forgery.
Stella Oduah resigned over corruption allegations.
Everyone condemned them and non asked for forgiveness to continue as a minister.
Pantami ‘s case won’t be different.
A supporter of Taliban and al-qaeda.
#PantamiResignNow
@FS Yusuf
Age has everything to do with radicalism. We’ve seen old & young turn suicide bombers.
Pantami saying he was young when he held those terroristic ideologies isn’t no excuse at all
#PantamiResignNow, begin an evangelism of deradicalization. He has no biz handling public affairs
@Sogunro
Now that Isa Pantami has renounced his extremist ideology, he should do the right thing and resign from office.
If he truly wants to make up for his past, he should continue the work of engaging and de-radicalising young jihadis, not handling national affairs. #PantamiResignNow
@Sogunro”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.” – Isa Pantami
This is not about age. I was once a teenager too – and I never supported killing people of different religions or beliefs. #PantamiResignNow
