Dr. Isa Ali Pantami has built himself to become more of an institution that is capable of attracting loyalty and understanding from all walks of life.
Such can only be seen by people who can first of all be fair to themselves before becoming fair to others and their virtues.
That is why we continue to preach for people to learn to develop critical thinking in order that we can appreciate the good things that happen to our society.
Lately, I have been stumbling over videos on the social space wherein Dr. Isa Ali Pantami’s political opinions of the past years are being brought up albeit with an intent of mischief and ridicule.
What the cheap blackmailers failed to recognise is that Dr. Isa Ali Pantami has an unalienable right as citizen to a political opinion at every point in time, and all of us also have same right.
Furthermore, all of the videos I have seen are those of an opinion on a political party that the entirety of Nigerians have agreed were a failure at one point or another including those who are spreading the mischief, be it former governors, ministers or senators.
It is still fresh in our memories how the entire Nigerians rejected a sitting government that was seeking another term.
Why then would anyone have issues with someone who had an opinion that eventually culminated into everyone’s opinion in the nation.
We are still asking people to learn to be serious please.
Again, this is a man who had never joined the political party he had an opinion about, and other people who have had to switch political associations and opinions on multiple occasions are the ones sponsoring the cheap blackmail that as usual lacks any sort of tact and strategy.
Perhaps, the only time Dr. Isa Ali Pantami had to join the political block was when he was invited to serve in a professional and technocratic capacity to a CHANGE government and even at that, he never stayed away from continuing with his calling of scholarly activities at his spare times.
This showcases someone who has maintained a high level of consistency.
Why then the attempt to ridicule such a character; the attempt only smacks of mischief from lowly individuals.
Why should our leaders take pride in transferring mischievous character to our younger population?
Why can’t we tow the path of the likes of Dr. Isa Ali Pantami by providing morals to the upcoming ones by way of sermons and teachings or by way of mentorship and motivational speeches?
Our politics must not continue to be archaic in reliance on cheap blackmail and empty shenanigans.
We have all had our political opinions at one point or another and there has never been anything wrong with it. Serial cross carpets have contested and won elections in Nigeria.
Why then should the political opinion of Dr. Pantami become an issue?
We have everyday clamored for the emergence of a break from the normal politicians but it appears that when such people arrive, we equally don’t have what it takes to identify them.
This is why some of us have kept complaining about the lack of mentors in our society; those who will mentor the young ones to have a critical thought that is sufficient for discernment.
Pantami has practically been providing that over the years and it has been responsible for the increasing numbers in young northern youths who are hungry to succeed like Dr Pantami or even better.
He always answers Ameen to such prayers on his social media handles.
It is pertinent to point out the fact that Dr Pantami is the headmaster of the new breed politicians in Nigeria, owing to his age, mentality and orientation which include his desire to see to mentorship and empowerment of mentees like his right hand and competent prodigy, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi (DG/CEO, NITDA).
Little wonder why his first step as a minister was renaming his ministry to align with the globally acceptable mandates.
Obviously, such a break-away from the norm will not come without misunderstanding and resistance, and he knows that very well, however, he requires all the support and encouragement from like minds as the transition from CHANGE to NEXT LEVEL and their consolidation is a very critical one for our dear nation, and we must not take it lightly.
This is the reason Dr. Isa Pantami has been working hard to increase digital penetration across the nooks and crannies of the nation, let everyone have access to information and be enlightened enough to differentiate between deceitful and serious leaders.
The youths of our nation are encouraged to take a break and have a deep thought over their actions.
For how long are they going to allow themselves to be used as tools for sowing discord and spread of fake news?
Everyone deserves a good and decent life and that is only achievable through the emergence of critical leaders in the likes of Dr. Isa Ali Pantami; we should embrace him.
Perhaps, it was the absence of such that made him express his opinion in the past and he was later vindicated through the dismissal of that political entity during the 2015 elections.
Nations of the world are daily struggling to consolidate digitalisation; we cannot be struggling to daily be debating normal things like political opinions.
Any political party that wishes not be criticised should be above board in character and integrity if not some of their actions can be as annoying as anything to people who have genuine love for country at heart.
Hashim Suleiman ([email protected])
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