Aisha Yesufu vows to disregard NIN-SIM linking exercise in protest

Nigerian activist, Aisha Yesufu, Friday has vowed to disregard the ongoing ongoing National Identification Number and Subscriber Identity Module integration exercise over the allegations of links to terrorist ideologies hovering around the ministry’s boss.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami had recently been in the spotlight for past controversial preachings that linked him to terror groups and a letter that alleged he was part of a genocide planning group.

These revelations have spurred overwhelming calls for the resignation or sack of the Minister because of the sensitive ministry he heads.

Also, despite the overwhelming backlash against the minister, the presidency and other voices like the Arewa Youths for Peace & Security have thrown their weight behind Pantami.

They claimed the minister can be excused because the statements were made in the past. While the presidency added that the calls were an organised “cancel campaign” and the minister has recanted his views.

However, speaking on the controversy, Aisha Yesufu who had taken a break from Twitter, returned to the social media platform to criticize the minister.

After posting a message of the end of her break with a “I am back tweet,” she then wrote, “Let me repeat categorically what I have said before. I WILL NOT BE LINKING MY NIN to my phone number! I will rather not have a phone line than willingly give my information and have it in the control of a terrorist sympathiser and his cohorts.”

This is not the first time Mrs Yesufu has criticised the minister. In April 23, she joined voices calling for the sack of Minister.

She also condemned the presidency for defending the Minister.
Speaking in a video shared on her Twitter account, Mrs Yesufu said the presidency is an institution, not Garba Shehu or President Muhammadu Buhari and this institution should not be seen supporting a terrorism sympathiser.

“The presidency is not Garba Shehu, the presidency is not even Muhammadu Buhari. The presidency is an institution and that institution must not be seen in any way whatsoever supporting someone who is known to be a terrorist sympathiser,” Mrs Yesufu said.

“We can not be a nation and allow people who support terrorism to be out there in our public domain as public servants.

“We cannot have a minister of a sector that is so sensitive and everything under that sector is with a terrorist sympathiser. Whether he has been or has repented is not an issue, the issue is that our presidency which is an institution must not be seen in any way supporting a terrorist sympathiser.”