Isa Pantami: ‘Non-Muslims are his target’ CAN says

The Christian Association of Nigeria has expressed its displeasure with the Presidency for defending the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, and his past radical pro-Taliban comments.

According to the association, non-Muslims have been the target of the minister right from his days as Chief Imam of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University mosque in Bauchi State.

CAN General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, said this in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Friday.

 “What do you expect? You think the Presidency will sack him? There is what we call corporate interest. The Presidency is protecting its interest. Didn’t the Presidency appoint Pantami in the first place?

“Pantami must have been given specific instructions. Government studies the characters they put in particular positions. If you are eloquent in speaking and you can lie, you can be made minister of communications. If you are one that knows how to fight workers, you can be made minister of labour. If you are known for your academic prowess and you can manipulate the academic environment to suit government policies, they put you in education.” Daramola said.

“Who are his (Pantami) target? Who are his actions targeted at? Who receives the actions and inactions of Pantami? Non-Muslims are his target.

“Has he denied ever doing it? He never denied. He said, ‘I did it’ but put a caveat there; ‘I did it when I was young.’

“He was of age at the time that Christian student was killed in Bauchi. He proclaimed fatwa on students when he was at ATBU and a Christian was dragged out of his hostel and killed and the minister said he didn’t know that time? Let nobody call dog monkey to us.” he further stated.

Dr Isa Pantami has been under fire of late over past pro-Taliban comments supporting the activities of terrorist groups including Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

In audio clips that resurfaced lately, the minister who has been an Islamic scholar for about three decades also once declared that he was always happy when infidels – non-Muslims – were massacred.

Though he has since renounced the comments, blaming immaturity, many Nigerians continue to demand his sacking or resignation.