In this third part, I wrote about the promotion of Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Shaykh Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami to the rank of Professor of Cybersecurity by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri and exposed the failure of some lazy academics to conduct what I call a minute research on his promotion before they begin to pour their poor questions on social media.
For the avoidance of doubt, let me state from the onset that I am not an academic in Nigeria or anywhere. But I am writing this piece as a trained journalist from reputable institutions abroad. So, since these lazy researchers have failed to conduct research, as a journalist, it is my duty to clear the doubts out of people’s minds by embarking on an investigation/research to get my proof.
When the news of the promotion of Prof. Pantami surfaced in the media, I didn’t expect people who claim to be researchers or academics in Nigeria and abroad; who are Nigerians, to doubt the legality of such promotion.
However, it is not surprising that this is coming from them because we are all aware of the process of recruiting some of them at their various institutions. It is not all of them that are there by merit but by who they know (alfarma) or through corrupt means. That’s why most of them are afraid of the IPPIS despite its huge benefits to both the nation and the students.
To some extent, one would be surprised that it is these same people who ran to social media to pour poor questions to average Nigerians to earn their praises, the questions that if a literate person sees, will not expect it to be from persons of their position.
Not only that the questions were so embarrassing to their profession but also the manner in which some of them asked the questions. Some of them went to the extent of lying to others on this issue. Haba! What is the essence of telling a lie? If you have your proof just go ahead to display them because lying will do nothing but expose you as a liar. And if a liar can be a professor, HM Shaykh Prof. Pantami deserves to be one. Say it with a loud voice.
On the other hand, some of them were pretending to be questioning social realities and ended up portraying/achieving something else hidden in their minds which people viewed in different ways: hatred or jealousy.
I don’t know why some people in Nigeria don’t always think positively. Why won’t they think that he earned his promotion legally instead of thinking it was illegally earned. Or was it because that’s how some of them were promoted that they were asking such questions? There is something behind the cloud here. There is an adage that says, in ba rami, me yakawo maganan rami. I know these people very well and I know what they are doing illegally. Not only me but also all followers of news and current affairs.
Prof. Pantami is a person who has never been caught doing such a thing before. There will be no problem if that has been his habit. But from his first degree at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi to England and later USA, no similar issue was raised about him and if there was, it should have surfaced by now. If one is also thinking well, he will realise that there is no way a person who can do this, will even get the chance to work at the Islamic University of Madinah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And he is the first Nigerian to have worked at such a level.
I know some will ask why I always write about issues pertaining to Shaykh Pantami. If I get this question, I will simply say that I am doing this in line with the teaching of my profession. It is not only about him but the truth. I am doing this regardless of who he is. This is what I was trained to do. That’s what all qualified journalists should stand for. And I am among them, why should I stay out?
As a journalist, I was trained to report issues based on my findings. Without evidence, I have nothing to report. So if those people making noise can be excused because of ignorance, what of those in the media section? They should know this. And if they did not, it is their qualifications or titles that will now be questioned not that of the honourable minister.
The questions they were asking include: where was he promoted? Later, does he still work as a teacher? Then, does he merit it?
The above questions were the questions I can refer to as poor questions. Though we normally have poor answers but in this instance, it is poor questions that we have. In my subsequent paragraphs, you will get to know that their questions are too poor. If these are examination questions, I don’t know what will happen.
How do they think a journalist of my training will share a news that is fake? I have seen the news but as a journalist, I have to verify it first. I called and made my inquiry. Publication by Nigeria’s most authoritative Islamic newspaper, Muslim News Nigeria, first broke the news that he was promoted at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Then, PR Nigeria further told us more on the promotion; stating others who were promoted together with him. Upon this verification, I congratulated HM Shaykh Prof. Pantami on my official Facebook account. And I continued to share the news about his promotion till now.
I have answered this? What is next?
In a research I conducted in a few minutes, I discovered what so many of them failed to do. It is a clear portrayal of how poor some of the noisemakers act. This may not be different with the way they work also. And if this happens to be, our institutions are in a more sorry state than what people know today. Because some average Nigerians may think that they don’t research before attending classes and as such, they may end up feeding their sons and daughters with dustbin materials. And they can be right.
My research showed that Prof. Pantami still teaches and supervises projects in higher institutions of learning. He said this with his mouth. This was contained in an interview conducted at NTA Gombe in the month of July after Eid-el-Kabir celebration and was shared by Prof. Pantami himself on his official and verified Facebook page.
He said “I spent most of my time teaching in university and up to now, I still teach in university. However, many people don’t know this. Up to now as a minister, I still work at universities as a teacher and project supervisor, when the need arises, among other functions.”
See the above Facebook post for your reference purpose. I haven’t and will never write lies in shaa Allah. From here, this answers what some of the lazy academics we have in Nigeria and abroad failed to find answers for.
Or maybe they think that for one to work in a varsity, he must be as analogue as they are. Without noting that the person in question is a first class digital minister who is trying to digitise the whole Nigeria (see his projects for more info). Therefore, he needs not to go and stay in a varsity like them for hours, locked inside an office or classroom before he can work as a lecturer. All he needs is his computer system, laptop, iPad or even an Android phone to hold a class or supervise projects. We have seen this working during lockdown as so many students studying abroad defended their projects and even attended classes virtually. I stated this deliberately so that somebody won’t come and begin to ask if this is possible.
On whether he merits it or not, a university, federal for that matter, I don’t think will promote him without him having satisfied all the requirements that are needed. And from what some gentlemen are suggesting and I agree with is, it is not Prof. Pantami that should be insulted, asked or whatever they call it, it should be the institution. That’s FUTO and not him. As simple as this.
For example, if a university first degree is awarded in Nigeria within the minimum period of four years and I got enrolled in an institution (public or private) and at the end of the day, I graduated after 2 years. Now, who should be questioned? Probably, not me. It should be that institution. Why and how? What happened? But not me because I was only certified after passing all the required tests. That’s all. Maybe there are new laws and or adjustments. The institution is in a good position to answer.
Having provided you my dear readers with all these answers that our so-called researchers who always claim to be doing the right thing failed to discover, one could come to no conclusion but agree that it is a mere jealousy (hassada) that they have been denying or it is hatred. It could be either of the two. Because we have been giving them chances and good understanding to see if they can clear themselves from all these allegations.
If it is either of the two, there is nothing best I can do as a muslim but to pray to Almighty Allah to heal them. if it is not, May Allah make them amongst the understanding ones. Every good muslim will expect more of this to come to Prof. Pantami’s way.
After all, there are so many academics I respect. I am happy that they are still reasoning well and didn’t do what will end up questioning the standard of their training. They are quiet on this and I am sure they know the consequences of acting out of ignorance and also what people will feel about their positions. They surely know the implications.
May Allah guide and protect the Honourable Minister Prof. Pantami in his new role and all of us.
Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim is an award-winning journalist, fellow African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC) 2020, Wits University, Johannesburg, South Africa. Can be reached via awwalbinibrahim@gmail.com
