Buhari’s support for Pantami “undermines public accountability, struggle against terrorism” – says Moghalu
Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) USAfricaonline.com
A former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and 2019 presidential candidate, Dr. Kingsley Moghalu, has called for the resignation of Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, over his past views supporting terrorists and violent jihadist groups such as Osama bin-Laden’s Al Qaeda, and Boko Haram.
The Buhari Presidency through its spokesman, Garba Shehu, has defended the controversial Minister. Today, Saturday, April 24, 2021 Moghalu stated Pantami should “never have scaled the vetting process and been approved for that office”.
“I have refrained so far from commenting on the #Pantami controversy. From information available: anyone can (make) a mistake, and has the right to recant…. But when the evidence shows that a serving minister of Nigeria has expressed open support for global terrorist groups, he should never have scaled the vetting process and been approved for that office. The implication of the timing of Pantami’s recanting of his views now is that he has been serving as a minister while presumably still harboring those views. His disagreement with Boko Haram does not absolve him of, at the very least, moral culpability for supporting Al Qaeda and the Taliban. For this reason, Pantami should not continue to serve as a Minister. For him to remain in his position, and for presidency to support this, is to tell Nigerians that we have two sets of standards from the very same government, one for the likes of former Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun who had to resign for a wrongdoing in her past and another for Pantami.”
Prof. Moghalu cautioned that “This position of presidency undermines public accountability, as well as Nigeria’s struggle against terrorism.”
Push on, my Brothe Chidor: You’re immersed in my prayers, love and support