Headline
Will Buhari Sack Isa Pantami?
By Eric Elezuo
The last has definitely not been heard about the controversies surrounding the embattled Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, and his undeniable link to notorious terrorist organisations, notable among them the dreaded Al-Qaeda and Taliban.
Nigerians are worried that a man of Pantami’s calibre, who as head of the communications ministry, oversees agencies, and is responsible for databases of Nigerians and expatriates in the country, should have a kind of kind with dreaded terrorist groups. They complain that such affiliations are tantamount to security breaches, and the consequence can be untold.
With his unhindered and unrestricted access to the data base of the nation, some people have expressed fears that the minister can sympathetically sell out to the Islamist militant groups in more ways than one, and this could be nipped in the bud with his sack. But with a picture of President Buhari and Pantami together at a hajj ceremony, that may not be possible in the near future.
Reports also have it that the Minister also oversees the web infrastructure for most government ministries and agencies, armed forces, intelligence agencies, and Nigeria’s satellite infrastructure that provides communications and navigation support for the air force. In fact, the powers of the minister are huge and quite intimidating. It is therefore believed that a man with such encompassing responsibilities can be trustworthy, honest, full of integrity and able to live above board. A lot of Nigerians don’t think of that for Pantami as a result of the document extremist views he held in the past.
Though his so called sins are in the past, Nigerians say that like a leopard, Pantami is not likely to change his spots, especially with a avalanche of defence coming from his supporters, colleagues, and wait for this – the Federal Government of Nigeria! The say his apology is enough proof that he is a changed man.
This has given rise to the question if President Muhammadu Buhari will have the gut to sack him from the federal cabinet as being canvassed by a cross section of the Nigerian public.
Recall that in the near past, streams of video and documented evidence of the views Pantami held in the past had flooded the media space, portraying him as a diehard believer in the elimination of ‘unbelievers’ by notorious extremist groups such as Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
Some of the documents are “purportedly from a 2010 meeting he chaired at the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), a top Islamic body, where it was agreed that Christians should be prohibited from building churches in city centres across northern Nigeria, which has a majority Muslim population although millions of Christians also live there.
“Audio and video recordings have also emerged of Mr Pantami’s fiery prayers and sermons at different stages of his career as an imam. In one sermon he volunteered to lead a force of the Sharia police, Hisbah, to Shendam in Plateau state, where there had been a deadly religious conflict, to fight in defence of the Muslims,” says a BBC report.
It was also reported that in a 2006 speech, Mr Pantami publicly offered his condolences after the death of al-Qaeda’s leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
In an audio clip, where he talks about the Nigerian army’s war against Boko Haram, he appears to be on the verge of tears as he passionately describes the militants as “our Muslim brothers” who did not deserve to be “killed like pigs”. Many believe that there is no way such a person will allow the war against Boko Haram, most of whose members are muslims, be decided in favour of the Federal Government. Consequently, the fears that he is sabotaging efforts of the security forces by his privileged position as the head of communications and database custodian of the nation, is rife among not a few Nigerians.
The same Pantami, who though has claimed repentance, also said in another audio recording, that he is always happy when infidels are massacred. Though he initially denied his involvement with the deadly groups, he did not deny the authenticity and veracity of the texts, audio and video clips.
Most of Pantami’s antecedents tell of tales of Islamic extremism. One was told about his time at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University where he, as cleric of a local mosque, was accused of instigating the gruesome murder of a Christian student leader whose crime was only distribute tracts and preached on the campus. It was also said that he was thrown out of the university for his extreme views. He denied these accusations and also said that he was never dismissed from the university.
While Nigerians patiently waited for the reaction of the Buhari-led Federal Government, most organisations across political, religious and social settings have led their voices in condemnation of the 48 years old minister, asking for his outright sack and prosecution. Some including Constitutional lawyer, Mike Ozekhome and Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, have written essays expressing their displeasure and the urgent need for Buhari to relieve him of his duties.
Even the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has added their voices to the call for his removalbut to no avail. They party even attempted to raise the matter in the upper house, but it was rebuffed ruling party members, who are in the majority. There seems to be a defensive shield from the powers that be for the Minister.
But finally, the executive reaction Nigerians had been waiting for came, and it came via a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, who speaks for President Buhari. In a nutshell, he said without equivocation that the administration of President Buhari “stands behind Minister Pantami.” He went ahead to accuse enemies of the government for the minister’s travails, saying that the minister’s apology should calm every nerve.
“Today, there is an unfortunate fashion in public discourse that makes leaders in politics, religion, and civil society liable in the present for every statement they have ever made in the past – no matter how long ago, and even after they have later rejected them.”
The presidential aide blamed those calling for Pantami’s removal as the problems of this country.
He said: “I am saying to you that people who stand in criticism of this position of the man who said he had wronged himself, he had wronged the society, and has apologised that he has changed, and they are not willing to forgive to move on; they are the ones who are the problem.”
He continued: “In all our lives, we change and transform … we don’t remain in the same position. The people just assume that he cannot change; if the One who created you gives it to you that from being bad, you can become good, what tells you to deny some other persons this right?
“They are the ones who are deeply intolerant, and who are telling the world that in this country, we have the set of people who don’t forgive, who don’t want to move on; they are the problem of the society.”
He went further to absolve Pantami over former Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, saying the ex-finister ministers crimes were more grievous that Pantami’s.
But critics have pointed out that the minister was already in his 30s when most of his controversial statements were made and so, was fully aware of the ramifications.
But reacting to the appointment of Pantami from the onset, on why the security agencies did not do due diligence, a former Director of the Department of State Security, Mr Amachree noted that the government of President Buhari was aware of the status of the minister, who started his education as an almajiri. He confided that his appointment was politically motivated, more like to balance a political equation. It is worthy of note that Pantami, a former director-general with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), is the only member of the Federal Executive Council from Gombe State.
While noting that Pantami should resign because it is difficult to deradicalise someone of his kind, the former DSS director said that information on all individuals of interest, including the minister’s past extremist views were communicated to the Federal Government and the legislature.
“There is no information that escapes the DSS. We have all of it, all. When I was working there, we keep a catalogue of anybody of interest that comes up to the limelight in this country.
“During the vetting process for anybody to be appointed a minister or commissioner or anything, your name is sent to the DSS for vetting. They check your background up to the extent of your grandmother.
“They check your schools up to the extent of your primary school. And of course, they keep a tab on you online and offline. We get a lot from open-source intelligence and I can tell you that in Pantami’s case, we have it.
“But there is a political angle to it. When somebody is being appointed, if the security agencies see that there is something wrong with his name, they will send it to the appointing agency,” Amachree said.
It is not hard to imagine that with the barrage of supports flowing from the seat of power to Pantami, it will be like forever before the desire of Nigerians to see the minister’s exit from the cabinet materialises.
The accusations trailing President Buhari as practicing nepotism in his administration may really be a stumbling block in the call for the removal of the repented lover of terrorist.
It is a waiting game, and the time begins now!
Farotimi, on July 2, 2024, released a 116-page book titled Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, setting the stage for a clash of interest resulting in petitions, persecutions, prosecutions and gagging of privileges and rights.
Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party at the 2023 ele tions, and a political ally of Farotimi, had volunteered to assist in helping embattled lawyer meet his bail conditions.
“He was only arrested after all attempts to make him come and explain himself proved abortive. He has been investigated and the case is already in court,” the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, explained.
But Farotimi’s lawyer, Temitope Temokun, countered the Police statement, saying his client was never invited by the Command
“He was invited by Zone 2 on two occasions, and he went there.
“But why would you be inviting somebody to Ekiti from Lagos on something that happened in Lagos? However, he was never invited, and if he had been invited, as a lawyer, I would advise him not to go.”
The situation erupted a discourse on various fora, further questioning the the credibility of the already discredited judiciary before some Nigerians, and further popularizing the said contentious book written by Farotimi.
The lawyer reasoned that, “The book was published in Lagos. The defendant has an office in Lagos. And under the Nigerian Criminal Justice System, the law is not that you have to go to where the defendant is, to go and try the accused. You have to try the accused where the act was committed, except he had escaped justice in another state.
“So if he didn’t do that, you cannot abduct him to that state that he didn’t escape to.”
However, on appearance at The Chief Magistrates Court in the Ado Ekiti Division, days later, he was ordered to be remanded in the state’s correctional centre pending consideration of his bail application.
In the fresh charge dated and filed December 6, Farotimi was alleged to have violated the Cybercrimes laws, when he on August 28, 2024 knowingly and intentionally transmitted a false communication in an online interview on Mic On Podcast by Seun Okinbaloye on his YouTube Channel in respect of a book he authored and published with the titled: ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.
According to the charge, Farotimi was alleged to have in the said broadcast interview claimed that, “Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the judiciary”, a claim which he knew to be false information and made for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended.
In count two, the defendant was said to have made the allegation “with the intention of bullying and harassing the named persons thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24 (a) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended.”
In another charge, Farotimi was alleged to have on December 2, 2024, acknowledged that there was a charge preferred before a court in Ekiti State against him at the instance of Chief Afe Babalola.
“This preferred, hidden from view and the court had purportedly demanded my presence multiple times and failed to appear before the court and this Court had then proceeded to issue bench warrant for my arrest. This is classic Afe Babalola, I detailed his corruptive influence in my book titled: ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’ which you know to contain false information for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended,” the charge read in part.
In count four, Farotimi was said to have described the charge in his online broadcast as “fraudulently preferred, hidden from view and the court had purportedly demanded my presence multiple times and I failed to appear before the court and this court had then proceeded to issue bench warrant for my arrest.”
The police further accused the defendant of bullying and harassing Babalola and other named persons when through his online broadcast alleged that after he sued Babalola for libel, “the machines of corruption went into overdrive and a case that should never have been killed at the preliminary stage was killed”.
Count 10 reads: That you Dele Farotimi on December 2, 2024 intentionally sent a message in the course of a press conference held on Online on your YouTube Channel, where you stated that: “I told the truth of his corruption of the society” which you know to contain false information for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order thereby committed an offence Contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended.
On December 10, his case was further moved to December 20 when he was granted N30 million bail. The bail conditions were completed on December 24 when he was released.
Though Farotimi is released, his freedom, which came at a cost, is not completely guaranteed as he will remain a regular visitor to courts until the final determination, which is likely to drag to the Supreme Court.
(4.00 out of 5) from the site which was based on five critic reviews.
The release of the book was accompanied by a public dispute between Dele Farotimi and Afe Babalola, In a controversial development a court in Nigeria issued an injunction halting the further production, distribution, and sale of Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. The decision came following a lawsuit filed by Babalola, who alleged that certain portions of the book contained defamatory statements and misrepresentations about individuals and institutions within the Nigerian criminal justice system.
Headline
Maiden Media Chat: I’m Not Ready to Shrink My Cabinet, Tinubu Declares, Defends Subsidy Removal, Insists on Tax Reforms
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, on Monday firmly defended his administration’s decision to retain his cabinet members, dismissing criticisms that it is “bloated.”
“I am not ready to shrink the size of my cabinet,” Tinubu stated during his first Presidential Media Chat in Lagos.
“I am not prepared to bring down the size of my cabinet,” he reiterated, emphasising that “efficiency” has guided his ministerial appointments.
The president also addressed concerns about the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, reaffirming his stance that the decision was unavoidable.
“I don’t have any regrets whatsoever in removing petrol subsidy. We are spending our future; we were just deceiving ourselves. That reform was necessary,” he said.
According to Tinubu, the removal of the subsidy has fostered competition in the sector, leading to a gradual reduction in petrol prices.
“The market is being saturated. No monopoly, no oligopoly, a free market economy flowing,” he explained.
Tinubu rejected the idea of price control, asserting his belief in the principles of a free market.
“I don’t believe in price control. We will work hard to supply the market,” he said.
On managing electricity bills, which has tripled since the tariff hike for Band A customers, the president advised Nigerians to adopt better energy management practices.
“It’s not negative to learn to manage. You learn to control your electricity bill, switch off the light. Let’s learn to manage,” Tinubu urged.
On controversial tax reform bills, which have divided the northern and southern parts of the country, the president said “no going back”.
“Tax reform is here to stay; we cannot just continue to do what we were doing years to years in today’s economy. We cannot retool this economy with the old broken books, and I believe I have that capacity that is why I went into the race,” Tinubu said.
“I am focused on what Nigeria needs and what I must do for Nigeria, it is not just going to be eldorado for everybody, but the new dawn is here, I am convinced, and you should be convinced.”
The former governor of Lagos State expressed confidence in his security chiefs, arguing the country is more secure than he met it.
He said, “Today, I have confidence in my security architecture. It is very, very unfortunate that, you know, two decades of wanton killing. I remember when I jumped into the campaign, I had to stop the campaign to pay condolence visits to Madiburi, Katsina, Kajuna, Kola. Today, you can still travel the roads. Before now, it was impossible. It took one incident to mess up an organized environment.”
”I am not probing anybody or service chiefs, you cannot disrespect the institution because of the threat of probe. Give them credit for what they are doing, I am proud of what they are doing today.’’
President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, presented the proposed 2025 federal budget to a joint session of the National Assembly.
The N47.9 trillion budget saw a whopping N3.5 trillion allocated to the education sector.
Other sectors that got higher allocations include defence and security – N4.91tn, infrastructure – N4.06tn and health – N2.4tn.
“It is with great pleasure that I lay before this distinguished joint session of the National Assembly, the 2025 Budget of the National Assembly of Nigeria titled, ‘The Restoration Budget’ security peace, building prosperity,” Tinubu said as he concluded his 30-minute presentation at 1:10pm.
This budget highlights the government’s focus on improving education, healthcare, and infrastructure, in line with its ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ aimed at boosting the economy and addressing key national priorities.
The live broadcast of the budget presentation today revealed the government’s plans for the next fiscal year. With a strong emphasis on human capital development, the president highlighted the budget’s commitment to improving the nation’s economic foundation.
Education sector receives major funding
A significant portion of the 2025 budget is dedicated to education, with N3.5 trillion allocated to the sector. President Tinubu stated that part of this funding would be directed toward infrastructure development, including support for Universal Basic Education (UBEC) and the establishment of nine new higher educational institutions.
“We have made provision for N826.90 billion for infrastructural development in the education sector,” Tinubu said.
This allocation aims to improve educational facilities and support ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s educational system.
Focus on human capital development
During the presentation, the president emphasized the importance of investing in Nigeria’s human capital. “Human capital development, our people are our greatest resource. That is why we are breaking record investment in education, healthcare, our social services,” he remarked.
Tinubu also pointed to the N34 billion already disbursed through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to assist over 300,000 students.
The budget includes continued investments in healthcare and social services as part of the broader goal of enhancing the quality of life for Nigerians.
Strengthening the economy and national security
Tinubu highlighted that the 2025 budget is designed to build a robust economy while addressing critical sectors necessary for growth and security.
“This budget reflects the huge commitment to strengthening the foundation of a robust economy, while addressing the critical sectors essential for the growth and development we envision; and secure our nation,” he said.
The budget aims to tackle key challenges and foster long-term economic stability by prioritizing infrastructure and development in key sectors.
Healthcare and social services allocations
In addition to education, Tinubu focused on the allocation for healthcare and social services. The government plans to increase investments in healthcare infrastructure and services to ensure broader access to essential healthcare for Nigerians.
These investments are part of the administration’s strategy to improve overall living conditions and enhance public health across the country.
President Tinubu’s proposed 2025 budget is said to reflect the administration’s commitment to achieving its development objectives, with a focus on economic growth, human capital development, and infrastructure improvement.
As the National Assembly reviews the budget, the president reiterated his administration’s resolve to address the nation’s most pressing needs.
Source: Nairametrics
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