Pantami’s support for terror groups have consequence on security perception of Nigeria, says lawmaker

A MEMBER of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi, has said the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami’s avowed support in the past for terror groups have consequence on the security perception of Nigeria.

There have been mounting demands for Pantami’s resignation from different quarters in the country following damning evidence that he was once an ideologue of extremist Islamic views that aligned with those of Al-Qaeda and Taliban apologists.

An online media even unearthed videos from the 2000s to prove that the minister was a dyed-in-the-wool religious fanatic.

Pantami, amid the growing call for his sack, however, recanted his past views on the terror groups, saying his position at the time was based on his understanding as a teenager.

But despite being a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Gagdi expressed worry over Pantami’s stance in the past noting that the minister’s past statements “seem to undermine the present security commitment”.

Gagdi said this while fielding questions from journalists on yesterday.

He said, “What is more important is what value is he adding to the Nigerian economy. What value is Pantami adding to curtailing the issue of insecurity in Nigeria? Every politician has his own enemy and every politician has his own past,”

He added, “I could remember when Isa Pantami made comments about Boko Haram. The people sent in videos insulting him and trying to declare him wanted. How can you place that or juxtapose that with his present position?

“The man that made a statement in the past against or supporting certain security situation — which is unlikely. If that statement is true then he did not do well at all.

“After his appointment as a minister, he has confronted Boko Haram about SIM card registration in such a way that the man was declared one of their major targets. I think his life has put him in a very critical position that he is neither here nor there because if they see him, they will not leave him.

“So, it has great consequences, to be fair, in terms of the security of this country for a minister of digital economy to have made a statement in the past that seems to undermine the present security commitment.

“It has great security consequences on the security perception of this country. That I can tell you without mincing words. But again juxtapose that equally with his commitment as a minister.

“What are his efforts? Has he made any compromising commitment towards those people or he has committed that those people equally see him as an enemy?

“That would help you to equally strike a balance in the course of that. But I have to tell you, it has consequences. His statement has great implication for the security situation of this country.”