|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Dr Adamu Muhammad Hamid, QEC Coordinator, Bauchi Unit MSSN
By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Bauchi State Area Unit has expressed hopes and believes that any evil conspiracy against well-meaning Nigerians or any attempt to destabilize our dear country Nigeria, will definitely and surely fail.
The MSSN also called on its members within the state and beyond to continue to make the most of the blessings of Ramadan and also intensify prayers to Allah (SWA) to bless “our country Nigeria, safeguard our schools, students and all other peace loving Nigerians”.
The MSSN which addressed a press conference at the NUJ Press Center, Bauchi on Wednesday also prayed to Allah SWA to grant victory to “our armed forces who are making sacrificial efforts to safeguard and defend the sovereignty of this country” .
Reading the text of the press conference, the Quiz and Essay Competition (QEC) Coordinator, Dr Adamu Muhammad Hamid condemned the recent smear campaign against the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Sheikh Dr Isah Ali Ibrahim by some print and electronic media in the country as well as those he described as ethnic bigots.
Tracing the campaign to a report by Daily Independent newspaper in its publication captioned “US Govt. places Nigeria’s Minister of communications. Sheikh Dr. Pantami on Terror watch-list for alleged ties with Boko Haram leader, he said that, “When the newspaper was challenged with legal action, it retracted the allegation with apology” .
He added that, “The shameful campaigners then switched the allegation to the murder of a student in ATBU in 2004, when Dr. Pantami was a lecturer. If at all they are saying the truth, where were they when DSS and the ATBU management were investigating the murder? Why did they hide the truth for over a decade? How did they even find out that the Sheikh was in anyway involved? We hope the security agencies will invite these campaigners for further interrogations on this particular case, so that justice will be served to all”.
According to him, “The ill-minded-elements didn’t stop there, they went further and tried the impossible, which is, linking the Minister with the death of the late Executive Governor of Kaduna State. Mr Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa. How could this happen? Alas! God is never asleep, the Kaduna state chapter of CAN swiftly discarded the allegation and distanced itself from it. That is an act of honesty and patriotism”, the MSSN added .
He however opined that the negative campaigns against Isa Pantami will never be unconnected with their envy about his outstanding performances, as DG NITDA and presently Minister of Communications and Digital Economy stressing that, “Many Nigerians didn’t know about NITDA and its existence until Sheikh Dr. Pantami was appointed as DG” .
The MSSN said that, “When at the helms of affairs in NITDA, he executed many beneficial projects across the country. These projects included ICT centres in many learning institutions and the establishment of skill acquisition centres. Presently, as Minister of Communications, he has given directives that all registered SIM cards should be linked with the subscribers national identification number (NIN) and to block all unregistered mobile SIM cards”.
Muhammad Hamid said that, “This is against effort in curtailing many forms of crime such as cyber-crime (yahoo-yahoo), kidnapping banditry and other nefarious activities which are highly dangerous to our safety as citizens an also to our security as a country. Everyone knows that because of this policy, in a social media video, the Boko Haram leader threatened to kill the Minister”.
He asked, “One will ever wonder what these blind-folded campaigners want to achieve. What benefit will they get by tarnishing the image of this hardworking and patriotic citizen? What would they gain by smearing a person working tirelessly to make the country a better place for us all?”
He however said that, “There are three theoretical lines of reasoning as to the possible reasons behind the smear campaigns on this honest, hardworking and patriotic gentleman, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami:
The MSSN said that, “Due largely to his unparalleled and unprecedented performance as Director and as Minister within short period of time, there are some opinions in the Northern part of the country that he could be pencilled down for nomination for the contest for presidency. And because of that those who feel this idea could be a threat to them, they have to manufacture a blackmail, a smear and condemnation to destroy such a chance. Unfortunately!
Muhammad Hamid added that, “The same kind of thinking is churning the minds of those thinking he has now grown a flexi muscle to contest for governorship of Gombe State, given the credentials he is building. Therefore there has to be smear campaign effort to obliterate his person”.
Further, he said that, “There is also the line of thinking that because fast-sweeping and radical policies to transform the nation’s communication and telecoms section adapting to global competitive and best practice, he stepped on some untouchable toes. Therefore he has to pay the price by forcing him now to have to defend himself in the face of allegations”.
The Bauchi Area Unit of MSSN also called on good citizens of the country to ignore and disregard the smear campaign and its promoters, as it is aimed at disrupting the attention of the Minister from executing the massive developmental focus he has started and also it is an effort to allow them to get away with their dubious deeds through unchecked internet activities.
