CAN suspends Gombe chair for congratulating Pantami over Professorship

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has suspended its Chairman in Gombe State, Rev. Sunday Congo, for congratulating the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali-Pantami over his professorial promotion.

Pantami was among seven Readers (Associate Professors) promoted to Professors by the Governing Council of Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) at its 186th meeting held on Friday, August 20, 2021.

A letter dated September 15 and signed by CAN’s General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, said Mr Congo’s suspension took immediate effect.

The letter, obtained by PRNigeria, described Mr Congo’s action as provocative, overzealous and tantamount to a unilateral decision made without authorisation and necessary clearance.

In the original letter also obtained by PRNigeria, Mr Congo through the CAN Secretary in Gombe, Senior Pastor John Adedigba, had extolled Pantami, an Islamic and ICT scholar, over his promotion to the rank of a Professor of Cyber Security by Federal University of Technology, Owerri; describing him as a ‘son’.

Adedigba wrote, “On behalf of the Christian Community in Gombe State, we happily rejoice and congratulate our son and brother Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami… on your promotion to the rank of Professor of Cyber Security and your two years in office.

“We join you, your family, Gombe State and Nigeria at large to celebrate this promotion, we are proud of you as a son of Gombe State and we pray that it will be useful to Nigerians and humanity at large.”

Adedigba, said the Christian body is not unaware of Pantami’s great achievements as the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

He mentioned some of the few developments, including, “the over one thousand completed projects and almost 400 ongoing projects in Nigeria under your supervision within two years with the support of President Muhammadu Buhari. Indeed you have made us proud as a son, we pray as a Church that God will use you to achieve many more and you will finish well in Jesus name, Amen.”