Former minister of Communication and digital economy, during the administration of ex-President Mohammadu Buhari, Isa Pantami, has taken back his words, denying that he never said “politics is evil (haram).”
Pantami, who is widely seen by many as a religious fanatic made the denial on Friday during an interview with BBC Hausa.
In the interview, he said the rationale of his being in politics is to bring good governance to his people and Nigeria at large.
“I never said politics is haram.
“I have been a registered APC member since 2019. It’s in the Nigerian constitution that you can’t be a minister if you’re not registered with a political party,” he said.
Pantami, who was also the director general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), is not new to controversies.
In 2022, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) rejected his appointment as professor of cybersecurity, on the ground that he was not qualified for the position.
According to the university union, the appointment was rather influenced by his position as minister and closeness to ex-President Buhari.
“From the evidence available to us, Dr Pantami was not qualified, and the said appointment violated established procedure for appointment of professors in the university.”
ASUU directed Nigerians and relevant bodies not recognized the appointment.
“NEC directs all members and branches of our union throughout the Nigerian federation not to recognize, accord or treat Dr Isah Ali Ibrahim Pantami as a professor of cybersecurity under any quise NEC.” the union said.
The ex-minister had also in a recent interview called on Northern elite to prioritise strategic investment in the media industry, instead of mosques.
This was as he warned that decades of underinvestment have created what he described as a “dangerous communication deficit.”
