“No reasonable Government would allow a person with the issues around Dr Patami remain in its cabinet” — Wike

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said that no reasonable Government would allow a person with the issues around Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami remain in its cabinet.

In a series of tweets, Wike also said that Pantami should have resigned honorably.

Pantami has been under fire lately over comments he allegedly made several years ago in support of Al-Qaeda – an extremist group founded by the late Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. Bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011, by the US Navy SEALs inside a private residential compound in Pakistan.

Pantami also made comments in support of Taliban, a Sunni Islamist movement and military organisation in Afghanistan currently waging jihad within the country.

Wike said, “No reasonable Government would allow a person with the issues around Dr Patami remain in its cabinet. Ordinarily, the Minister should leave immediately but this Government doesn’t care

“This should not be allowed, saying it was done in the past or he has repented is not the issue

“It is inexcusable, at best we can say the seeds he sowed have germinated and led to the killing and destruction of people.

“If I was in such a situation I would have tendered my resignation.”

Many Nigerians are calling for the removal of Pantami or his resignation over some controversial comments he made in the past in support of global terrorist groups, Al-Qaeda and Taliban.

Though the minister had renounced the controversial comments on the terrorist groups, saying that he was young when he made the radical comments and he is now mature and now knows better, Nigerians reiterated their position that Pantami must resign.

Some Nigerians also called for the prosecution of the minister, insisting that he should be jailed if found guilty.