There are indications that the Presidency is reaching out to some envoys, especially from the United States of America for a soft landing for the controversial Islamic Cleric and President Buhari’s Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Sheikh Isah Ali Pantami. Sheikh Pantami has been in stormy waters of recent over his pro-jihad stance and violence-inducing sermons, which are believed to have caused the death of some non-Muslim innocent Nigerians.
According to information unveiled by LeadingReporters, some selected Pro-Pantami group has been detailed to reach out to foreign diplomats serving in Nigeria to prevail on their intelligence agencies to withdraw their security searchlight on Pantami. Although Pantami has apologized for his pro-violence sermons, insisting they were said in his naivety and early years as a cleric.
His critics said that Sheikh Pantami is an unrepentant extremist whose plea was to douse the raging tension and soothe the moment. One of the respondents described Sheikh Pantami as a Jihadist who would preach more and more violence given the opportunity to do so.
“Ask yourself this question, would Pantami be saying what he said if he was not given a political appointment. The answer is NO. He is only trying to play smart by claiming that the sermon was preached in his younger days. The apology he rendered was an advice given to him by one of his ally as a way of soothing the moment. It was not a genuine apology. There are most recent events and posts that showed he is a sworn fanatic and extreme Jihadist who enjoys seeing the blood of non-Muslims wasted on grounds of fanaticism”.
Recall that there has been call for President Buhari to sack his Communication and Digital Economy Minister over his pro-violence and Jihadist comments, insisting that Communication Ministry is so sensitive to be left in the hands of a minister whose previous sermon and antecedents were laden with hate speech, religious extremism and intolerance for other regions and sects.
Just recently, the Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari, through his media Spokesman Garba Shehu has come hard on Nigerians who were calling for the resignation of Pantami, insisting that Pantami’s achievement outweighs any call for his sack. He toed the line of Pantami by saying that he has apologized and does not hold those violent views any more. A position many believed was the height of bigotry and one-sidedness by the present administration.