Headline

Call for Isa Pantami’s Sack Grows over Pro-Taliban Comments

Published

4 years ago

April 19, 2021

Eric

The Peoples Democratic Party and civil rights groups on Sunday called on the Department of State Services to immediately invite the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, for questioning over some controversial comments he made in the past in support of global terrorist groups, Al-Qaeda and Taliban.

The National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement in Abuja and the CSOs in separate interviews with The PUNCH, also called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), to sack the minister.

Pantami has been under fire lately over comments 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.

Following the outrage generated by his past comments, Pantami on Saturday renounced them.

He stated that some of his past views were made out of immaturity, alleging that attacks on him by Nigerians were politically instigated.

But on Sunday the PDP said Buhari should immediately sack the minister, given the sensitivity of the issue.

The party said its position was predicated on the heightening concerns in the public space and in the international arena of possible compromises by the communication minister.

It noted that Pantami had 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.

The statement partly read, “The party tasks the DSS to investigate the allegation, which has created apprehension, particularly given the rise in banditry and other terrorists activities in our country.

“The PDP urges Nigerians to remain at alert and very sensitive to their environment, while not hesitating in providing useful information to our security agencies in the interest of our nation.”

On its part, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria also asked Buhari to sack Pantami.

The civil society group also admonished the President to be courageous enough by arresting and prosecuting terrorists and bandits, including armed herdsmen whom it said were about pushing the nation into another civil war by their unbridled quest to displace farmers all over the country.

The group stated this in a statement on Sunday, titled, ‘Buhari must purge his government of terrorists sympathisers,’ signed by HURIWA Executive Director, Emmanuel Onwubiko.

Also, a constitutional Lawyer and Human Rights activist, Grace Ketefe, said, “It is very important to watch one’s utterances at every point in time especially those that are in position of higher authority. Words callously stated may result in the loss of innumerable lives and properties. I am of the opinion that he should resign.”

On his part, the Head of Legal Department, Human Right Defenders of Nigeria, Sampson Ekigbo, stated, “As a person holding a public office, such a person should not, in the first place, scale through the scrutiny of the committee saddled with determining the propriety or otherwise of his qualifications to that very position. He should be made to resign forthwith and face prosecution.”

But it was gathered that the President might not ask the minister to resign despite the growing calls for his resignation or sacking.

Some of those pushing for Pantami’s exit from government had cited the case of a former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who had to resign due to her past action as regards her National Youth Service Corps certificate.

When asked on Sunday if the President would advise Pantami to resign like Adeosun did or he believed the two cases were different, a Presidency official said the two cases were not similar.

The official, who did not want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said, “There is a clear distinction between the two (Adeosun’s case and that of Pantami).One is perfidious. Forgery is a criminal offence in our laws.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, could not be reached on the telephone for comment as of the time of filing this story.

The Punch

Headline

Tinubu’s New Year Message, Proof of Disconnection from Nigerians Frustration – PDP

Published

17 hours ago

January 2, 2025

Eric

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declared on Wednesday that President Bola Tinubu’s New Year nationwide broadcast has further frustrated Nigerians’ hope for good governance.

It alleged that the speech showed that Tinubu’s administration is grossly disconnected and unconcerned with the hardship Nigerians are going through as a result of ill-implemented policies and gross mismanagement of resources under the President’s watch.

The opposition party, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, noted that Nigerians are appalled that despite the prodding of well-meaning citizens, President Tinubu’s New Year speech did not articulate any specific direction for the nation or proffer solutions to the myriad of problems caused by APC’s misrule.

“President Tinubu’s speech again underlines APC’s insensitivity to the anguish of Nigerians by failing to present any definite policy roadmap towards reducing the price of petroleum products, addressing the widespread hunger in the land, and revamping our ailing productive sector,” the PDP stated.

It further observed that “the speech did not articulate any solution-based direction for the critical sectors of electricity, oil and gas, road infrastructure, food production, among other areas that are fundamental to the wellbeing of citizens.”

The party said: “It was also pathetically devoid of a precise plan to address unemployment through strategic investment to stimulate multi-sectoral Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the country.”

According to the PDP, the New Year address should have made definite pronouncements on the price of fuel, especially given that with deft, transparent, and innovative management of resources, economic potentials, comparative advantage, national refining capacity, and effective policing of our borders, Nigerians should not pay more than N350 per liter for petrol within the country.

It alleged that the Tinubu-led APC administration lacks the expected patriotic commitment as well as the required capacity, competence, and skills to effectively harness and manage the resources of the nation for the good of the citizens.

“Moreover, President Tinubu’s claim in the speech that Nigerians placed their confidence in him as their President is ludicrous and shows that he is disconnected from the reality of his abysmal perception among Nigerians.

“Mr. President must realize that Nigerians have lost faith in his administration; they have since moved on and are eagerly waiting for the next round of elections that will mark the end of the nightmare which the APC represents to our nation,” the PDP added.

Headline

Resume Before Trump’s Inauguration, American Schools Advise International Students

Published

5 days ago

December 28, 2024

Eric

Universities in the United States have urged international students to resume before president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Trump is set to be sworn in on January 20, 2025.

The universities advised international students to return early from winter break amid promises of another travel ban by the incoming president.

Many international students were stranded abroad when Trump imposed a travel ban at the start of his first administration.
The president-elect has been vocal about his hardline immigration stance.

Some of the actions Trump has promised to take include a travel ban on people from predominantly Muslim countries and the revocation of student visas of “radical anti-American and anti-semitic foreigners”.

Headline

Prerogative of Mercy: Osun Gov Pardons 53 Convicts

Published

1 week ago

December 26, 2024

Eric

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has exercise his powers of prerogative of mercy, pardoning 53 convicted inmates, including a young man sentenced to death for ‘stealing fowl’.

The governor made this known via a tweet on his official X handle with the title, PREROGATIVE OF MERCY EXTENDED TO 53 CONVICTS.

The governor noted as follows:

In line with the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy and in exercise of the power conferred on me by paragraph (a), (c) and (d) of subsection (i) of section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), I am pleased to extend my grace and mercy unto 53 convicts serving various convictions within the Nigerian Correctional Service.

In the case of inmates convicted of simple offences, I have decided in accordance with the said recommendation to remit and forgive the remainder of the said sentences of the following 30 (thirty ) inmates in whole.

1. OLUBO SUNDAY
2. ISAH UMAR BIODUN
3. FAWAS KAREEM
4. OMIRIN TEMITAYO
5. OLARENWAJU AYOMIDE
6. DARE SUNDAY
7. OLADAPO TUNDE
8. GANIYU SAHEED
9. ADEWUMI SODIQ
10. ADEBAYO ADEOYE
KEHINDE
11. LASIS KAZEEM
12. DAUDA OJO (59 YEARS)
13. ISMAILA RAJI
14. OSENI MICHEAL
15. AJAYI KOREDE
16. ABIONA NURUDEEN
17. OSHI SAMUEL
18. SHEU YUSUF OLATUNJI
19. OJO AANU
20. MUSTAPHA KEHINDE
21. LASIS ABEEB
22. ALEXANDRA IORLAHA
23. OJO TAIWO
24. AZEEZ MUJEEB
25. AKINYEMI DAVID
26. ADEOSUN ADEKUNLE
27. OLAOBAJU SAMUEL
28. ADURA ADEFEMI
29. PAUL BASIL
30. KUNLE DAVID

I have also decided in accordance with the said recommendation to grant outright pardon to the following 12 (Twelve) inmates convicted of simple offences.

1. OLABOMIJI NURUDEEN
2. MUSTAPHA ISAH
3. OLALEKAN ABDULLAHI
4. AYOMIDE OLOJEDE
5. AKEEM RAPHAEL
6. ADEYEMI ABIODUN
7. OLADIPUPO SEGUN
8. OMISAKIN SUNDAY
9. ADEMOLA ADIO
10. TUNDE OLAPADE
11. LATE CHIEF WOLE OLA
RUFUS OJO
12. OMOLOYE OLAJIDE
OLAYEMI

In the case of the following 6 (Six) Convicts sentenced to death, I have approved the commutation of their sentence from death to outright release while OJEKUNLE TIMOTHY has his sentence commuted from death sentence to 15 (Fifteen) years imprisonment having spent at least 10 (ten) years in custody.

1 OLUWAFEMI FAGBEMI
2 BEWAJI SUNDAY
3. AMEHIN GEORGE
4. AYOMIDE ARULOGUN
5. TAIWO OLUWATOBI STEPHEN
6. ABUBAKAR ABDULAZEEZ

The following 4 (Four) Convicts also have their sentences commuted from death sentence to outright pardon.

1. SUNDAY MORAKINYO
2. SEGUN OLOWOOKERE
3. TUNDE OLAPADE
4. DEMOLA ODEYEMI