Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Pantami,
and chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, have taken their fight on the use of office
spaces in the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) building to
the court of public opinion via Twitter, with the latter describing
the response to her accusations of forceful eviction of her staff
by the minister as lies.
While replying a tweet on the NCC’s reaction to her accusations,
Dabiri-Erewa tweeted: “Hmm. Dia is God ooooooo @DrIsaPantami
@NgComCommission. We have moved on. But the holy Prophet Mohammed
(Pboh) abhors lies (as contained in your response) especially as we
mark the end of Ramadan.”
Pantami, while responding to a tweet by SaharaReporters
“#PressPlay: Nigeria’s Communication Minister, @DrIsaPantami, Asks
Gunmen To Chase @AbikeDabiri, other NIDCOM staff from office
complex In Abuja,” tweeted “THIS IS A FAT LIE FROM HER: The owner
of the building @NgComCommission has faulted her lies on their
social media platforms. The minister has never given that
directives to any gunman. We need to be very objective in
reporting. I have never sent any gunmen there, & I have no
one.”
But, Dabiri-Erewa, in responding to the minister’s tweet, linked
her ordeal to being a woman.
“An Islamic scholar should not lie Hon Minister. (Phd)You did
that to me cos I am a woman. Your disrespect for women is
legendary. Left the ugly incident behind me since Feb. But pls
release all our office equipment. Public office is transient.
@DrIsaPantami.”
Head of the media and public relations unit of NIDCOM,
Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in a statement, said the commission, being an
agency of government ought not to be treated in a dehumanising
manner by the minister.
“The minister’s claim that the space was allocated for years is
definitely false as NIDCOM is just one year in existence. We must,
however, thank the chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who,
despite all these, was determined to ensure that the work of the
commission did not suffer in any way, through her doggedness and
dynamism. As stated in the chairman’s remarks as the commission
marked its one year in office, the minister’s arrogance and utmost
humiliation of a government agency is totally unwarranted. However,
the commission has since moved on, and put the ugly incident behind
it as it looks forward to settling into any available office space
after the COVID-19 lockdown,” Balogun said.
He added that the minister should acknowledge the fact that
NIDCOM was not occupying the office spaces in the NCC for personal
use by staff, but rather for official governmental functions.
He said Dabiri-Erewa was on an official assignment with
President Muhammadu Buhari in Addis Ababa Ethiopia on February 9,
2020, when staff were given one week by Pantami to pack out, but
within 48 hours of the notice to quit they were forcefully evicted
by security operatives attached to the complex on the orders of the
minister on February 11.
The commission claimed 39 items were still under lock and key in
the NCC commission and appealed to be allowed to move those items
out.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Pantami,
and chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, have taken their fight on the use of office
spaces in the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) building to
the court of public opinion via Twitter, with the latter describing
the response to her accusations of forceful eviction of her staff
by the minister as lies.
While replying a tweet on the NCC’s reaction to her accusations,
Dabiri-Erewa tweeted: “Hmm. Dia is God ooooooo @DrIsaPantami
@NgComCommission. We have moved on. But the holy Prophet Mohammed
(Pboh) abhors lies (as contained in your response) especially as we
mark the end of Ramadan.”
Pantami, while responding to a tweet by SaharaReporters
“#PressPlay: Nigeria’s Communication Minister, @DrIsaPantami, Asks
Gunmen To Chase @AbikeDabiri, other NIDCOM staff from office
complex In Abuja,” tweeted “THIS IS A FAT LIE FROM HER: The owner
of the building @NgComCommission has faulted her lies on their
social media platforms. The minister has never given that
directives to any gunman. We need to be very objective in
reporting. I have never sent any gunmen there, & I have no
one.”
But, Dabiri-Erewa, in responding to the minister’s tweet, linked
her ordeal to being a woman.
“An Islamic scholar should not lie Hon Minister. (Phd)You did
that to me cos I am a woman. Your disrespect for women is
legendary. Left the ugly incident behind me since Feb. But pls
release all our office equipment. Public office is transient.
@DrIsaPantami.”
Head of the media and public relations unit of NIDCOM,
Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in a statement, said the commission, being an
agency of government ought not to be treated in a dehumanising
manner by the minister.
“The minister’s claim that the space was allocated for years is
definitely false as NIDCOM is just one year in existence. We must,
however, thank the chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who,
despite all these, was determined to ensure that the work of the
commission did not suffer in any way, through her doggedness and
dynamism. As stated in the chairman’s remarks as the commission
marked its one year in office, the minister’s arrogance and utmost
humiliation of a government agency is totally unwarranted. However,
the commission has since moved on, and put the ugly incident behind
it as it looks forward to settling into any available office space
after the COVID-19 lockdown,” Balogun said.
He added that the minister should acknowledge the fact that
NIDCOM was not occupying the office spaces in the NCC for personal
use by staff, but rather for official governmental functions.
He said Dabiri-Erewa was on an official assignment with
President Muhammadu Buhari in Addis Ababa Ethiopia on February 9,
2020, when staff were given one week by Pantami to pack out, but
within 48 hours of the notice to quit they were forcefully evicted
by security operatives attached to the complex on the orders of the
minister on February 11.
The commission claimed 39 items were still under lock and key in
the NCC commission and appealed to be allowed to move those items
out.