Pantami Should Clear His Names For Allegedly Shielding NCC Officials Indicates In Corruption, CSOs

A civil society organisation, Concerned Citizens, has called on former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, to provide clarification regarding issues raised in media reports on the handling of a 2021 fraud case involving officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Speaking through its Convener, Ibrahim Ilyas Kaltungo, the group said its call was based on reports published by Premium Times in 2021 concerning alleged financial irregularities involving two NCC officials. According to the organisation, the reports indicated that an internal investigative committee had made recommendations on the matter.

The group also referred to reports that a civil society organisation, Lygel Youths and Leadership Initiatives (LYLI), had written to the minister in 2021, requesting his intervention. Concerned Citizens said it believes further public clarification on the issues would promote transparency and accountability.

According to the CSO, media reports at the time quoted the minister’s spokesperson as stating that the matter was within the jurisdiction of the NCC and that the commission was in a better position to respond to questions relating to the case.

The organisation said its statement was not intended to determine guilt or innocence but to encourage openness on issues that had attracted public attention.

As of the time of this report, there is no publicly available court judgment or official finding establishing any personal wrongdoing by Pantami in connection with the matter.

The issues referenced by the CSO remain matters of public record contained in earlier media reports, while any allegations against individuals remain unproven unless established by a competent court or relevant authority.

Pantami’s response to the CSO’s latest statement was not immediately available at the time of filing this report.

The story will be updated if his reaction or that of his representatives is received