OSBC Osun State Broadcasting Corporation
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has urged the Minister of Communications and Digital Planning, Dr. Isa Pantami, to ignore calls by some people that he should resign.
There have been calls for Pantami to resign over his alleged ties to terrorists sects.
Pantanmi, who described the campaign for him to step down as politically motivated, renounced some the controversial statements he made in the past.
But that did not stop those who asked President Muhammadu Buhari to fire him from continuing with their campaign.
In a statement issued by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC said everyone has their past.
“A section of the Nigerian press published reports of calls being made by some people for the resignation of Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami over the fake news that the US had placed him on its watchlist. The second allegation was that the minister had made certain radical pronouncements in the past.
“It is a baseless call and it should be ignored. After all, the US itself has denied it. Dr. Pantami has been enjoying unhindered multiple entry to the US for a very long time.
“Even Facebook, the US based social media giant had Pantami’s picture on Facebook’s digital board for several hours as a mark of honor and respect during one of his numerous visits to that country.
“The campaign of calumny is being pushed by forces against the Federal Government’s NIN policy, Boko Haram terrorists, bandits, criminals in general and political IDPs (Internally Displaced Politicians). No one who has the love of Nigeria at heart will support such a malicious and frivolous allegation.
“It is a well-known fact that NIN is designed to expose the true identity of criminals like Yahoo Yahoo boys, bandits and kidnappers who use the internet and telephone to extort money from foreigners and families of kidnapped victims.
“They live a life of Mr. Jekyll and Hyde : respected gentlemen in the day but dangerous criminals at night and on lonely alleys.
“They have become jittery ever since the NIN policy was introduced by Pantami’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Policy
