‘Isa Pantami should have resigned immediately’ – Nyesom Wike

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike says the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, should resign from office, irrespective of his recent volte-face on his previous support for extremist groups.

The Governor said this during an interview with the African Independent Television in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.

“If it was really where a government is working if an American government says your minister is on a watch list, it calls for concern for you to say ‘look there is a problem’. The moment a high government official is on a watch list as regards terrorism, no government can fold its hands and allow it,” the Governor stated.

“The minister ought to have resigned from the government immediately the information about his extremist views in support of terror groups became a matter of public discourse.” he further said

The governor described as worrisome the decision of the federal government to remain mute amidst the raging controversy about the minister’s sympathy for global terrorist groups, saying, “I don’t understand why a reasonable government will allow such a person to be in the cabinet.”

He noted the All Progressives Congress-led federal government was known for its proclivity to shield persons of questionable characters, even when the country’s secret service presents overwhelming evidence against such individuals.

The minister has been under fire over the comments which were interpreted as endorsing the extremist sects with a trending hashtag advocating for his immediate resignation .