Reps lobbying US to throw out Pantami — Member

Embattled Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, may soon be thrown out of the Muhammadu Buhari administration if members of the House of Representatives get the backing of the United States government.

Already, some federal lawmakers are currently in talks with US officials to nail Pantami in the allegation of terrorism leveled against him in the ‘public court’.

A member of the House of Representatives Sergius Ogun, gave the indication in an interview with journalists in Abuja.

The legislator was responding to a question on the seeming division in the House on the matter.

Ogun said, “From where I stand I believe the minister should resign. He will go. I don’t think he will stay beyond the end of this year.

“Now, we are approaching America for help. Will America tolerate such things? They will give you terms if they are going to come here. Right now, we don’t have the power to dictate; anything they throw at us we will accept. So, for me, if he doesn’t go today, he will go tomorrow. I think the President should release him. But what do you expect from this President.”

“I think people are also disenchanted with the way government is handling it because when someone asked me in a forum, that we are not saying anything about insecurity, I had to start posting some of my YouTube videos in 8th Assembly.”

The lawmaker blamed the worsening insecurity in the countryon an alleged treatment of terrorists with kid’s gloves. “Remember we fought for the removal of service chiefs. Has anything changed? Someone said our mission was to take out the service chiefs and bring in competent ones. So what we’re saying now is that we are sure these ones are competent. Ok take these ones out. Who else will come? I think it’s just the system basically. Those in the North are paying tax to the bandits, a colleague of mine said that, he’s from Katsina, they said the village heads gets like 30k, but now they are collecting money on behalf of the bandits.

“We actually have two governments in this country. So, for us it’s not just talking about it, it’s a resolution, it’s not binding on the Executive,”