The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Navy, Yusuf Gagdi, said that Nigerians that knew about Dr. Isa Ali Pantami’s extremist views should have brought it to the attention of the National Assembly when he was being screened as minister in 2019.
Gagdi, who represents Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam Federal Constituency in Plateau State, stated this on Monday while featuring on TVC breakfast show, ‘Your View’.
He said that as one of those who screened the minister, he could say categorically that the Department of State Services (DSS) did not submit any report on Pantami’s past extremist views.
The member said it was therefore not fair to blame the National Assembly for not rejecting Pantami’s nomination.
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“This pressure which some Nigerians who are privileged to know the commitment and disposition of Pantami when he was 34, why didn’t they bring it up to the attention of the National Assembly during the screening of the ministerial nominees?
“These Nigerians that have access to this very important information, what stopped them from hitting the media with it at the time the screening exercise was being conducted?
“That was the time the National Assembly had the power to reject nominations of the President or to confirm nominations.
“If the information had gone out and the National Assembly had gone ahead to confirm Pantami, then I will accept responsibility that the National Assembly had done extremely bad,” Gagji stated.