Things Would Have Been Different If Pantami Forged Certificate Like Adeosun — Garba Shehu

*Says Those Unwilling To Forgive Pantami Are Nigeria’s
Problem

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, has argued that the
certificate forgery by Kemi Adeosun, ex-minister of finance, cannot
be compared with the earlier views on terror groups expressed by
Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy.

Speaking during a Channels TV programme on Friday, Shehu said
the presidency’s response “would have been different” if Pantami
had forged his certificate like Adeosun did.

Adeosun resigned as minister in September 2018 after it was
reported that her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption
certificate was forged to bypass Nigerian laws that mandate public
officials to undergo the one-year service.

Pantami, on his part, had expressed extremist views in support
of ideologies of terror groups such as Al-Qaeda and Taliban during
his lectures as an Islamic scholar in the 2000s.

Although he has recanted the views, there have been heightened
calls for his dismissal, with some Nigerians arguing his position
as minister of communications is a sensitive one.

The presidency, however, defended him on Thursday, accusing the
minister’s enemies and some information and communications
technology (ICT) companies of being behind the “smear campaign”
against him.

Asked why the presidency let Adeosun go but was quick to defend
Pantami, Shehu said the latter’s case only involved people probing
his thoughts during the said lectures.

“In the second case which is that of Pantami, you are probing
the thoughts, what is called ‘McCarthyism’; you search the inner
recesses of the minds of individuals, bring out things they have
said, or they are about to say, or you think they would say, and
use that against them,” he said.

“If Pantami had forged certificate before coming into office,
the attitude (of the presidency) would have been different.

“We don’t remain in the same position. Don’t assume that things
cannot change. If the one who created you gives it to you that from
being bad, you can become good, what says you should deny some
other persons this right?”

The presidential spokesman dismissed claims that the
presidency’s support for Pantami suggests how the current
administration tolerates violent religious extremism.

He said, instead, that those making such claims are “the
problems of the society” for their unwillingness to forgive
Pantami.

“Those people who stand in criticism of a man who has said he
had wronged and society, he has apologised and changed, and they
are not willing to forgive him to move on, they are the ones who
are the problem. They are the ones who are deeply intolerant,” he
said.

*Says Those Unwilling To Forgive Pantami Are Nigeria’s
Problem

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, has argued that the
certificate forgery by Kemi Adeosun, ex-minister of finance, cannot
be compared with the earlier views on terror groups expressed by
Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy.

Speaking during a Channels TV programme on Friday, Shehu said
the presidency’s response “would have been different” if Pantami
had forged his certificate like Adeosun did.

Adeosun resigned as minister in September 2018 after it was
reported that her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption
certificate was forged to bypass Nigerian laws that mandate public
officials to undergo the one-year service.

Pantami, on his part, had expressed extremist views in support
of ideologies of terror groups such as Al-Qaeda and Taliban during
his lectures as an Islamic scholar in the 2000s.

Although he has recanted the views, there have been heightened
calls for his dismissal, with some Nigerians arguing his position
as minister of communications is a sensitive one.

The presidency, however, defended him on Thursday, accusing the
minister’s enemies and some information and communications
technology (ICT) companies of being behind the “smear campaign”
against him.

Asked why the presidency let Adeosun go but was quick to defend
Pantami, Shehu said the latter’s case only involved people probing
his thoughts during the said lectures.

“In the second case which is that of Pantami, you are probing
the thoughts, what is called ‘McCarthyism’; you search the inner
recesses of the minds of individuals, bring out things they have
said, or they are about to say, or you think they would say, and
use that against them,” he said.

“If Pantami had forged certificate before coming into office,
the attitude (of the presidency) would have been different.

“We don’t remain in the same position. Don’t assume that things
cannot change. If the one who created you gives it to you that from
being bad, you can become good, what says you should deny some
other persons this right?”

The presidential spokesman dismissed claims that the
presidency’s support for Pantami suggests how the current
administration tolerates violent religious extremism.

He said, instead, that those making such claims are “the
problems of the society” for their unwillingness to forgive
Pantami.

“Those people who stand in criticism of a man who has said he
had wronged and society, he has apologised and changed, and they
are not willing to forgive him to move on, they are the ones who
are the problem. They are the ones who are deeply intolerant,” he
said.