The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami traded words on Sunday on Twitter.
The disagreement was over a forced eviction of the NIDCOM staff from their office at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In a series of tweets by Dabiri-Erewa, she accused Pantami of being disrespectful of women. In response, Pantami called the NICOM boss a liar.
The due started the argument following the former House of Reps member, in a video posted on NIDCOM Twitter page, accused Pantami of ordering armed men to chase away workers of the commission from their office.
She reminded Pantami that the office was given to NIDCOM by the Nigerian Communications Commission, lamenting that NIDCOM staff working tools had been locked up.
In the video, she said, “In one year, we don’t even have an office. The office we got, given to us by the NCC, we were actually driven away by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr. Isa Pantami. Within two days he drove us out with guns and what happened? The place was given to us by the NCC.
“You know we all help each other, NCC as an agency of government, said there is a place you can use to settle in. And just as we settled in, I was in Ethiopia when I got a call. I thought that it was a joke. I came back from Ethiopia on Thursday, this happened on Tuesday, by Friday when I went to the office, guns, armed men had taken over the place. I thought it was a joke; but here is the thing, I’m a government employee, so is he. It’s government business. Do I go on the street and start fighting? No. So, I said I would take the moral higher ground.
“I have complained officially, but we let it be. He wants the place, let him take it. And that place is still there, a whole floor is still vacant. As I speak with you all our items are locked up. I don’t have a computer; I don’t have printers; everything has been locked up.”
However, Pantami in his response to the video, called Dabiri-Erewa a liar.
He wrote, “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 directive to any gunman. We need to be very objective in reporting. I have never sent any gunmen there, and I have no one,”
The NIDCOM boss then replied that Pantami chased the workers away because he is not a respecter of women. She said this while quoting Pantami’s tweet.
She wrote, “An Islamic scholar should not lie. Hon minister (Phd), you did that to me because I am a woman. Your disrespect for women is legendary. Left the ugly incident behind me since February. But please, release all our office equipment. Public office is transient.”
She then posted a video of the stranded NIDCOM staff who were being addressed to stay calm.
She added, “To refresh you sir, despite your denial; the secretary of the commission seeking calm after staff resumed for work and denied access to the 5th floor office of NIDCOM based on your instruction. Turned back by armed men! Haba!!!!”
Pantami then retweeted reports from some of his followers, who urged him to take legal action against Dabiri Erewa for defamation of character.
He also shared another statement from the NCC, that he had been absolved of blame in the matter.
The Director of Public Affairs of the agency, Henry Nkemadu said that NIDCOM was not forced out of the complex.
According to Nkemadu, “The NCC has not withdrawn the offer, but had hiccups arising from the preparation for the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the Communications and Digital Economy Complex and launch of other projects relating to the mandate of government.
“Incidentally, after the offer of the office spaces to the NDC (NIDCOM), the Director-General, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had not visited the complex to take possession of any of the offices and also the commission had not started using any of these spaces like offices.
“As is usual in ensuring security and accountability before, during and after presidential visits, the building had to be cleared to allow for only known and identifiable persons to have access within the complex.
“Therefore, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, could not have sent armed men to drive the staff of the Diaspora Commission out of the Communications and Digital Economy Complex,” the statement said.
