People that talk too much often talk themselves into trouble. Pantami said many things some 30yrs ago he cld not say today. He defended the Taliban. He associated himself with Alqaeda. He can't do that today. Even with his loudness & oratorial skills he could not defend himself.

The good thing is he recanted and apologized. But he forgets to add that the Taliban he supported thirty years ago is not the Taliban of today. Taliban was a group known to be fighting for the liberation of Afghanistan. The United States supported it.

Taliban was not a terrorist organization,even today the US has not designated it a terrorist organization. I am sure Pantami is not aware of this. It is the reason US sits with Taliban to negotiate.

Alqaeda was classified a terrorist organization in August 1999.

That was years after Pantami declared support for it.

Before 2001 when it attacked world trade center,most Muslims supported it for its stance against American occupation of Muslim lands and the presence of its military in Saudi Arabia. No one will support Alqaeda today.

Boko Haram started as a resistance group against ban on commercial motorcycles and helmet. Most people of Maiduguri supported it. It was the later years Boko Haram became a full blown terror group and everyone is against it.

The president himself had once considered BokoHaram as freedom fighters. Today he is fighting them. He once supported herdsmen. Today he gave orders to shoot them once seen carryn weapons.Perception changes with time. Ppl make mistakes&when they apologize they deserve forgiveness

But Nigeria is soaked in religious and ethnic hatred that makes us an unforgiven nation.

Those asking Pantami to resign are applying Western high moral standards on Nigerian politicians. In UK or US, Pantami would have since apologized and taken a bow.

But this is Nigeria. We like Western standard but use it under the garb of ethnicity, religion and politics. Pantami is aware of this and will not resign. The president has backed him, saying the minister is doing a good job. So it is time to move on.

To me Pantami has apologized and withdrew those words. I can't kill myself over him besides he is doing good work to Nigeria in his present assignment.
©Aliyu Nuhu