GOVERNOR WIKE SAYS THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATION AND DIGITAL ECONOMY, DR. ISA PANTAMI SHOULD RESIGN

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike says the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami should resign from office, irrespective of his recent volte-face on his previous support for extremist groups.

Governor Wike 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 to terrorism, should jolt any government into action.

The Governor who stated this during an interview programme with the African Independent Television, AIT in Port Harcourt, said 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.

He described as worrisome the decision of the federal government to remain mute amidst the raging controversy about the Minister’s sympathy for global terrorist groups, noting the All Progressives Congress led federal government is known for its proclivity to shield persons of questionable characters, even when the country’s secret service presents overwhelming evidence against such individuals.                      

Governor Wike, also took a swipe at the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for not taking stern disciplinary action against former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, who recently claimed he conspired with others to ensure that President Goodluck Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election.

He stressed that as a leading opposition party in Nigeria, the PDP cannot afford to accept acts of gross indiscipline and impunity, because it might undermine its chances to wrest power from the APC in 2023.

The Governor stated that it was heart-breaking to hear that while himself and others were campaigning for the PDP to win the 2015 general elections, the likes of Aliyu who ran for the Senate in the same general election, had hatched and executed a scheme to undermine the party.

He demanded that Aliyu Babangida, who is a member of the Board of Trustee of the PDP should offer an unreserved apology to the party that provided him platform to serve as two term Governor of Niger State.

On the issue of security, Governor Wike described the growing insecurity across the country as worrisome, particularly in the South-East, saying security agencies in Rivers state have taken pro-active measures to ensure there are no security breaches.