The Minister for Communications, Isa Patami and the Chairman
of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri have taken it to Twitter to
trade insults over office space.
Mrs Dabiri in an interview with Sahara Reporters had claimed
that the Minister denied her agency an office space given to the Diaspora
Commission by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC).
Patami on Sunday reacted, saying that the claim by Dabiri is
a “lie”
“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, and I have no one.”
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 https://t.co/SUi3n4Qs4E— Isa Ali Pantami, PhD (@DrIsaPantami) May 24, 2020
In what appears to be a full blown row, Dabiri responded
with her own salvo.
“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 please release all our office equipment. Public office is transient.”
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 eguipment.Public office is transient .@DrIsaPantami https://t.co/sdcu2tBmtL— Abike Dabiri-Erewa (@abikedabiri) May 24, 2020
Meanwhile, NIDCOM in a statement on Sunday by its spokesman,
Abdur-Rahman Balogun, responded to the NCC which described the incident as
‘allegations’ in a statement earlier in the day.
The NIDCOM statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to
a statement signed by Dr Henry Nkemadu, Director of Public Affairs of Nigerian
Communication Commission (NCC) on Sunday May 24, 2020 describing the forcing
out of the staff of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) from the occupied
fifth floor of NCC Annex Mbora as mere ‘allegation’.
“The fact of the matter is that the said fifth floor was allocated
to NIDCOM by NCC Management since June 2019 and handed over by Mrs Maryam Bayi,
its Director Human Resources.
“But due to lack of basic facilities in the complex, NIDCOM
staff could not move in gradually until October 2019.
“But while our Chairman/CEO Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa was on
official assignment with Mr President in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, on the 9th of
February, the staff were given one week by the Hon. Minister of Communications
and Digital Economy, Dr Ali Pantami to pack out but within 48 hours of the said
quit notice, they were forcefully evicted by security operatives attached to
the complex on the orders of the Minister on February 11.
“On the allegation that NIDCOM did not move into the offices
when allocated, this is untrue, false accusation and contradictory to the
statement of NCC to the effect that NIDCOM properties were warehoused and
intact in the annex.”
NIDCOM said its offices were broken into and “all items
including 140 work stations, personal computers, printers, sensitive documents
and personal belongings of staff were carted away.”
The statement continued: “It is our humble opinion that an
agency of government ought not to be shabbily treated in a dehumanising manner.
“The Hon. Minister, should have acknowledged the fact that
the aim of NIDCOM for using the office spaces was not for personal functions
but rather for governmental functions with regards to Diaspora engagements.
“The Hon. Minister should have seen the need to give the
Chairman of the Commission audience so as to let the Commission staff evacuate
their belongings by themselves rather than breaking into the offices without
their consent.
“The Commission still has no access to all equipment,
furniture and other items carted away on the instructions of the Minister.
“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.”
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