Foremost human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has declared that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, poses a threat to the fragile unity of Nigeria.
Ozeknome’s statement on Thursday was a reaction to calls for the minister’s resignation which has reverberated across the country.

Pantami has been under fire after a piece of audio-visual evidence exposed his pro-extremist views and support for international terrorist organisations, al-Qaeda and Taliban.

Although the minister recently renounced his radical pro-Taliban comments, Ozekhome in a statement titled ‘Isa Patami: The Leopard And Its Unchanging Spots’ was convinced that the minister has not changed as a “fanatic, fundamentalist and supporter of extremist Islamic sects”.

To back up his claims, Ozekhome noted that Pantami, last month, contracted an Islamic TV to cover a Federal Government event snubbing renowned stations like Channels, TVC and AIT amongst others including the government-owned NTA.

With such action, the senior advocate posited that Pantami is unfit to remain in charge of the critical digital and telecommunications agency of the federal government.

He urged Pantami to take a cue from former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who resigned following allegations of a falsified NYSC certificate.

The statement read: “Has he really changed? What has changed? Can a leopard ever change its spots?” Ozekhome asked.

“In saner climes, Pantami should have resigned immediately without more. Or be sacked forthwith. Lifting the veil off his purported transformation or assumed transfiguration is so easy when viewed against the background of his new acts even as Minister.

“Only recently, On March 22, 2021, Pantami’s Ministry hosted a virtual flag-off ceremony for a capacity development programme empowering 600 people with VSAT Installation Skills. Pantami himself was present and he even spoke at the event. It was a Virtual Flag-off Capacity Development Programme on VSAT Installation Skills and TVRO Systems for 600 youths by Pantami.

“The ceremony was not covered by AIT, Channels, NTA, TVC, ITV, or even FM Youtube channels. Rather, a very little-known Islamic TV channel called Al-Afrikiy was contracted to relay an event organized by a whole Federal Government of Nigeria. It must be borne in mind that Al-Afrikiy is not merely an Islamic-influenced learning TV station, it is also an Islam-only TV channel. It broadcasts strictly religious matters,” he said.

Ozekhome also questioned the competence of the Department of State Services who has been entrusted with screening presidential appointees before an official appointment is made.

“By the way, where was the DSS (Department of State Services) which was supposed to screen Pantami before his name was sent to the Senate? Why did it turn its focus away from these destructive extremist views of the very Minister in charge of Nigerians’ information data, with unabridged access to same, including NIM, BVN, biodatas, etc?

“What about our fawning rubber stamp “take-a-bow” Senate that was supposed to do a very thorough screening of Pantami? Why did it simply allow the Carmel to pass through the needle’s eye? When will it winnow out the chaff from the real wheat? Why has it turned a sacred duty on behalf of Nigerians into a “yes sir” party affair, which suggests that President Buhari can do no wrong, or make any mistake?

“Isa Pantami should resign, as Mrs Kemi Adeosun, former Finance Minister, once did. Where he fails to do this, Buhari should immediately relieve him of his ministerial position. His antecedents loudly proclaim him as a clear and present danger to Nigeria’s asphyxiatingly fragile unity, harmony and religious and ethnic tolerance,” Ozekhome concluded.