An interim report of a committee set up by the Joint Council on Civil Society and Religious Affairs in Nigeria, has cleared the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, of religious extremism allegations levelled against in recent media reports.
The group gave Pantami a clean bill of health at a press conference addressed by its Chairman, Bishop John Okafor, in Abuja.
According to Okafor, “we made our independent findings and found the allegations against Dr Isa Pantami as not only untrue but afundamental plot to dampen the image of our dear country before the world.”
He premised the investigations on the fact that “if as the conscience of the nation, we fail to correct this misconceptions, then we have fundamentally failed in our obligations both to the people and government.”
The Chairman stated among other things noted “that Dr Pantami as a Sheikh preaches the convictions as laid in the holy islamic literature same we do to according to the Bible.
“The council also found out that the allegations had been a target on both the person of the Minister and the image of the country.
“The council also found out that Dr Pantami at no time had any personal link with any extremist both as a Sheikh and public official,” Okafor told reporters at the press conference.
He pointed out that handiwork of “interested stakeholders who are affected by the novel reforms in the telecommunication sector under the supervision of Dr Pantami.”
In this vein, the Joint Council on Civil Society and Religious Affairs in Nigeria based on “this findings has unanimously recommended a vote of confidence on the person of Dr Pantami and appeal for moral support to public officials so to have a basis to hold them accountable.”
