[OPINION] The Moral Burdens of a Minister

Posted by African Examiner Articles/Opinion, Featured, Latest Headlines, Uncategorized Sunday, May 31st, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Since the public got to know of the NCC-NIDCOM office allocation debacle, various sympathisers and sponsors have intervened. Besides stating the official position of NIDCOM in response to the NCC’s statement on this year’s Eid Fitr day, Sunday May 24, 2020 and the official response to another statement from NCC on Friday May 29, 2020 by Dr. Henry Nkemadu of NCC, this is my first entry on the matter. It is basically intended to courteously offer fellow Nigerians some anticipated clarifications on some of the pending knotty issues.

It surely must interest the leadership of the Communications Ministry that Allah says in Chapter 49 verse 6: ” O ye who believe! If a Fasiq (liar-evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done.”

This particular verse aptly captured my opinion on what some commentators and opinion writers’ perspectives on the raging issue.

In all the comments and writings, no person has questioned what happened from Feb. 11, 2020 when NIDCOM staff were prevented by the armed security guards guarding the building to May 20, 2020 when the issue broke out through the Minister’s Twitter handle deriding a commemorative video of NIDCOM activites. Sadly and without any compelling logic, the Minister dismissed that creative effort in which NIDCOM Chair, Hon. Dabiri-Erewa recounts the major challenges of the Commission as “Fat lie”.

The Minister sparked the media exchanges with less than decent expressions to a fellow Muslim and a colleague in the same government and more importantly a woman, a wife, mother and grandmother referring to her as ‘a liar’.

Again, Allah warns in Chapter 49 verse 11: ” O ye who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former…. Nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it to insult one’s brother after having faith, and whosoever does not repent , then such are indeed Zalimum (wrong- doers).

Above verse applies not only to the Minister, who is a revered Islamic Scholar and an Imam, but to all those who toe such line of action in marshalling their points.

Unknown to many, Abike Dabiri-Erewa on her return an official trip to Ethiopia with Mr President, summoned all the displaced staff to her one room office at the Federal Secretariat and warned them not to make any public comment on the matter in order not to embarrass the government

She also advised them since Friday February 14 to go back home and stop loitering around the lobby of the secretariat and be working from home. All these happened before the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in late March. She equally told the staff that all what happened has been documented and presented before the relevant authorities for intervention.

For the record, till date, the Minister did not inform, communicate in whatever form with Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa on why the office allocation by NCC was revoked. At best, it was an sms message she got from NCC asking NIDCOM to vacate from the premises within one week. This quit notice was given on February 9 and forceful denial of gaining entrance occurred on February 11 and it was on the orders of the Minister with deadline. This is a fact.

So when the Minister of state, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubair Dada, who is the direct supervisor of NIDCOM heard of the matter, he called Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa for proper briefing while Hon. Minister Pantami shunned the meeting invitation to resolve the matter but instead asked Minister Dada to come over to his office. By the way, Amb. Dada is not Pantami”s age mate in any way.

When the outburst became public from both personalities, some elders intervened and pleaded with them to sheath their swords and refrain from any Public comments, it was after that that the Minister now sharpened his media war with various undercover writings and opinions in both electronic, print and social media. This to me is unnecessary. Even, on Friday May 29, 2020 at 3pm, he assembled all the Guild of Editors based in Abuja to a meeting in Wuse , Abuja. The outcome of it we shall be seeing in the next few days.

Similarly, the Management of An-Nur Mosque in Wuse in Abuja where Hon. Minister Pantami worship and have majority of his followers through his preachings, advised him to release all the seized properties of NIDCOM in a mail copied to some Islamic leaders in the country on May 26, 2020, but up till now, such advice like those before it, went to deaf ears.

Allah says to the arrogant ones in the Glorious Qur’an Chapter 31 (Luqman) verse 18: “And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster”.

Allah warns again in Chapter 17 verse 37: “And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance. Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth, nor can you attain a stature like the mountains in the height..”

So all these traits of sheer arrogance and abuse of power is totally unislamic, unafrican and allien to decent culture and tradition.

For a woman of distinction who has spent 15 glorious years at NTA, three terms of 12 years in the House of Representatives parliament, three years as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Affairs and now Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM in the last one year. All the records are there for anyone to check that she worked successfully and amiably with her male dominated counterparts.

Due to her selfless meritorious service to mankind, she has over 200 laurels to her credit at both national and international level which earned her global respect among her peers, colleagues and associates. So, Abike Dabiri-Erewa is not a jingoist or male chauvinist that will be playing the weakling female hater politics to win any sentiment. She has meandered and related successfully between men and women. In a nutshell, Abike Dabiri-Erewa does not need to brag about her achievements. She has achieved so much just as Dr Isa Pantami has done his bit.

That Minister Pantami disrespected her by not even reaching out to her before throwing a whole commission out is annoying not just to her but women’s generally . Would he do same if she was a male?

Back to the issue of office allocation, the excuse given by NCC that NIDCOM staff were ejected from the office because Mr President was visiting the 11- year old edifice to commission some projects did not hold water as that was not communicated to Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa as staff of NIDCOM would have even added colour and glamour to the proposed visit since both agencies are under the same Presidency.

Not only that, the President didn’t visit the premises until late March 2020 where again Hon. Minister Pantami disrespected President Muhammadu Buhari when he breached protocols and forcefully stopped Prof. Umar Dambatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC from making his welcome speech in a live telecast programme. What a shame and arrogant use of power that is transient. Pantami forcefully ejected the Commission Feb 11 I really do not want to probe into the activities of Hon. Minister Pantami at NITDA when he was the DG there, i leave that to his lamenting
staff to judge.

So the cock and bull stories and tales by moonlight narratives of some paid columnists and political jobbers on Abike Dabiri-Erewa is what I can refer to as balderdash.

But Allah issued out some clear directives in the Quran which am aware some leaders have been trying to do but it seems a party is sticking to his guns.

Allah says in Quran 49 verse 9: also in verse 10 thus: “And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, *then make peace between both.* But if one of them outrages against the other, then fight you (all) against the one that outrages till it complies with the command of Allah. Then if it complies, *then make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable.* Verily! Allah loves those who are the equitable.

In all these, the followings are not in doubt:

1. An office, fifth floor of NCC annex, was allocated to NIDCOM through the kind gesture of NCC in June 2019.

2. NIDCOM moved in gradually from October 2019 following major partitioning, renovation and furnishing.

3. By December 2019, five major departments in NIDCOM moved in following installations of over 140 work stations as well as PABX supported international call centre in conjunction with Airtel Nigeria.

4. The Chairman/CEO office was in preparation with painting, tiling and plumbing for her to move by mid February 2020 when the evacuation order came. On the instruction of the Minister through the EVC of NCC, NIDCOM Chairman was notified on the need to evacuate from the building within one week without any prior notice as the Minister wanted to occupy the same office space and location.

5. That NIDCOM staff were prevented from gaining entrance into the premises by gun bearing security personnel attached to the building and were disallowed to pick any of their personal belongings in the
building.

6. That on Feb. 14, 2020, NIDCOM learnt that its offices had been broken into and all the items including personal computers, printers, sensitive documents and personal belongings of staff were carted away to an unknown location.

7. Currently, most of the members of the Management and Staff of the Commission have no official place of work to operate from since February.

Despite all these challenges, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa was determined to ensure that the work of the Commission did not suffer in any way through her doggeness and dynamism.

So, it is expected that those who want to comment on this issue should have the fear of God to either counter or concour with the above assertions and prevail on the Minister to give the same directive to NCC to release all the NIDCOM properties in good condition

To us at NIDCOM, we have put the office saga behind us and moved on. Enough of shenanigans and distractions to a focused and dynamic commission whose one year in existence was marked with over 41 major landmark achievements.

Abdur-Rahman Balogun is the Head of Media and Public Relations Unit
NIDCOM Abuja
May 31, 2020.
rahmor2001@yahoo.com