“DSS informed FG of Pantami’s extremist views before appointment” – Ex-director says
Punch newspaper has in a recent editorial demanded the sacking of Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.
This is coming after he recently renounced his past controversial comments on terrorist groups including Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram.
The minister said he was young when he made the radical comments, adding that he is now mature and now knows better.
He spoke while answering questions during his daily Ramadan lecture at Annor Mosque in Abuja on Saturday.
“For 15 years, I have moved round the country while educating people about the dangers of terrorism. I have traveled to Katsina, Gombe, Borno, Kano states and Difa in 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 international events and therefore took some positions based on their understanding, some have come to change their positions later,” Daily Trust quoted Pantami as saying.
Reacting to the recent turn of events in an editorial titled ‘Why Pantami must resign or be sacked’, Punch Newspaper gave reasons as to why the minister needs to vacate his post. The media outlet wrote;
“These allegations are far too weighty and there is copious evidence that Pantami once held on to extremist ideology and expressed it openly. Therefore, the honourable step is for him to resign. Otherwise, Buhari should sack him for unfettered investigations to be undertaken.”
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