Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Tuesday evening asked Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, to resign from office over his alleged extremist religious views.
He also said there was no basis for President Muhammadu Buhari to continue to keep Pantami in his cabinet.
“I don’t understand why a reasonable government will allow such a person to be in the cabinet,” he said.
Wike who spoke during an interview on the network of African Independent Television, AIT on Tuesday said Pantami should quit the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari despite his claims that he has recanted views that indicated his support for some global leaders of Islamic extremist groups.
The governor noted that in an ideal society, an allegation that the United States of America has placed a serving minister on its watch list as regards terrorism should jolt any government into action.
“If it was really where a government is working if an American government says your minister is on a watch list, it calls for concern for you say look, there is a problem. The moment a high government official is on a watch list as to regards to terrorism, no government can fold its hands and allow it,” the Rivers State Governor said.
Wike added that the Minister ought to have resigned from the government immediately the Information about his extremist views in support of terror groups became a matter of public discourse.
READ ALSO: I am shocked and devastated: Buhari speaks on Deby’s death
Wike added that it is worrisome that the Federal Government has kept quiet over the raging controversy about the Minister’s sympathy for global terrorist groups.
Wike added that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government was known for its tendency to shield persons of questionable characters even when the country’s secret service presented overwhelming evidence against such individuals.
“But you were here when DSS wrote a report against (Ibrahim) Magu. What happened? Look, I have never seen a country that your Secret Service wrote a report about the nominee of Mr President, questioning his character and the rest, and that he is not appointable. What happened? So, what are you talking about? What removed Magu is a power play” Wike said.
