Joe Abah stirs controversy with comments on Pantami

Dr Joe Abah

A former director-general of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms Joe Abah on Friday caused a storm on Twitter with his comments about allegations of religious extremism against the minister of communication and digital economy Isa Pantami.

The minister received the backing of the Presidency on Thursday despite growing calls for his removal.

When asked on Twitter what he felt about the ongoing crisis, Abah responded: “My view is that a number of the things the Minister said in the past were misguided and wrong, and that he should have publicly renounced those views, apologised for them and actively campaigned to repair the damage they would have done, before he was confronted with them.”

His comments did not sit well with many Nigerians on Twitter who accused him of “sitting on the fence”, an allusion to his popular description of himself as “the fence”.

Abah was forced to defend himself against some of his attackers.