Pantami: No excuse for ignorance, says Archbishop Kaigama

…As Fayose says Presidency now employer, defender of terrorists, bandits

By Rotimi Ojomoyela & Luminous Jannamike

THE Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Grace Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, said yesterday that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami cannot feign ignorance of the consequences of the messages he preached years ago which many allege were sympathetic to ‘extremist’ groups.

This came on a day former Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose described as unfortunate, a situation where the Presidency has become the employer and defender of Boko Haram terrorists and armed bandits.

The Catholic prelate, who spoke while delivering his homily at Holy Ghost Parish, Saburi in Abuja, noted that before one could become a religious leader of the Minister’s calibre, he must have acquired a good grasp of philosophy and theology to preach.

Kaigama said: “The raging controversy about what a serving Minister preached, or did not preach years ago only goes to show the sensitivity of religious matters in Nigeria which we must always approach with very great caution.

“It is a clarion call for the proper training of preachers. Mistaken or faulty positions held by preachers and communicated to followers can contribute to unnecessary tension and violence that could even lead to the waste of human lives.

“As a doctor must attain full professional knowledge before practising, so preachers attain the height of religious formation before preaching, ignorance of the law is not an excuse.”

Kaigama further enjoined  religious organizations to set the correct criteria for preachers, so that no one with the improper understanding of scripture or only with superficial and distorted truths of our faiths will cause religious friction and tension.

Presidency now employer of terrorists, bandits  — Fayose

Meanwhile, the former Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose who, lamented that no part of the country is safe, called on Nigerians to restrict their movements to avoid falling victims of terrorists, who have taken over the entire country.

Fayose, in a statement by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, said that the issue of Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami has further exposed the government’s hypocrisy and complicity.

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He said: “It is saddening and worrisome that spokesmen of the president are the ones going from one media house to another to defend someone who openly supported terrorists.

“In the last three days, over 300 Nigerians have been killed across the country, with several others in captivity, and this is still not enough for President, Muhammadu Buhari and his men to wear sackcloth and cover themselves with ashes. Rather, they are seen making merry as if nothing has happened.”

Fayose said it was painful that Nigeria was being governed by people who were at one time or the other nominated as Boko Haram negotiator while their lieutenants are those who have openly faulted military action against Boko Haram terrorists and rejected its categorisation as a terrorist organization.

He said: “It is funny that today, if those running the affairs of the country are not telling us that armed bandits must be seen as innocent until proven guilty, they will be saying offence of forgery is more grievous than open declaration of support for terrorists.

“Because of their inability to take decisive actions against these terrorists that they appear to have sympathy for, Nigeria is no longer safe for anyone to live in.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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