.Says Osinbajo, Zainab Ahmed, Emefiele not spared
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), urged President Muhammadu Buhari, to ignore religious extremist allegations being bandied against the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Ali Pantami, noting that to the attacks were aimed at getting rid of “best brains'” in the government.
NYCN, the apex umbrella body for Nigerian youths stated this in a letter to Buhari, sequel to recent media report which emanated from audio and video sermons delivered by the Minister who is also an islamic Sheikh.
The letter with reference number PRES/GCFR/FGN/NYCN/01/21, also drew the President’s attention to what it described as a wider plot by people with sinister motives to discredit other top federal government functionaries.
The letter which was made available to journalists read in parts that: Your Excellency is already aware of the furor generated around the views expressed by the Sheikh Isa Pantami in the distant past. The said statements have become a sinister political tool for those who are bent on looking for ways to get rid of your best brains and hands in your government. Sheikh Pantami has unfortunately been singled out as a major target in this subtle and sinister campaign against your government and the Nigerian State.
“It is imperative that we draw your attention to the fact that aside Sheikh Pantami, other government officials and members of your Cabinet are also being targeted on spurious grounds including their religious beliefs or regions of origin. These include the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed amongst others.”
The NYCN letter to Buhari, emphasised that “it will be very regrettable to pay any serious attention to the machinations of the enemies of the Change and Next Level Agenda in the light of the fact that the grand plot is to fan the embers of divisions and disintegration, designed to destabilize and make mockery of your government.”
It however, pointed out that “the programme of building a Digital Economy for Nigeria to join the league of advanced countries of the world is a task the indefatigable Sheikh Pantami is pursuing to the delight of young people of this country.”
The letter quoted the NYCN as noting that the Pantami led Digital Economy holds vast potentials not only for the Nigerian Youths but will serve as a major revenue spinner for the government.
Besides, “we have also analysed Sheikh Pantami’s position on Boko Haram then. Incidentally, those view are factual and very correct in the context of the time, because at that time Boko Haram was considered a peaceful sect that has not taken up arms. Hence, he warned that the extrajudicial killing of members portended a danger.”
He (Pantami) further went ahead to dissuade Boko Haram leaders from toeing the path of violent extremism.
In this vein, NYCN letter to Buhari recalled that Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, sometimes in 2020 place a bounty on Sheikh Pantami’s life for holding different views from the terrorist.
This, according to the apex youths Organisation “would not have been the case if the Minister was an enabler of the group. Remember, a bounty is always placed on the life of an arch enemy.”
