President Muhammadu Buhari, last Thursday, granted a controversial pardon to 159 convicted persons including two former state governors who were convicted and jailed for stealing public funds.
The pardon was announced after the National Council of State ratified it at its meeting on Thursday.
The two former governors – Joshua Dariye of Plateau State and Jolly Nyame of Taraba State – who are on the list of the pardoned convicts, are still serving jail terms of 10 and 12 years, respectively, after their conviction and sentencing were affirmed by the Supreme Court.
The pardon granted to the former governors has been widely criticised as sabotaging the anti-corruption war by a government that came to power on the mantra of fighting corruption.
PREMIUM TIMES in a hard-hitting editorial on Wednesday described it as “a rank injudicious exercise of statecraft”.
With the presidential amnesty, the former convicts are free to return to their normal public lives, seek elective positions and take up appointments. They are also no longer to be referred to as ex-convicts.
The pardon granted to the 159 persons followed the recommendation of the 12-member Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM).
The PACPM was constituted by President Buhari in August 2018 and is headed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
It was set up to advise the president on granting pardon/clemency to deserving inmates and ex-convicts in line with the provisions of section 175 of the Nigerian constitution.
Committee members
Below are the names of the members of the committee that recommended the controversial pardon:
*Abubakar Malami (chairman) – Attorney-General of the Federation
*Jim-Jaja Ibiwari (Secretary to the committee) Director of Special Duties in the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs is the Secretary of the Committee.
*Anthonia A. Ekpa – Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs
*Leticia Ayoola-Daniels – Representative of the Ministry of Justice,; and
*Raphael Ibinuhi – the representative of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).
*Shehu Gwarzo – a commissioner of police, representing the Nigeria Police Force
*Albert Uko – representing the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)
*Professor Auwalu Yadudu – representing Jamaat Nasri Islam (JNI)
*Yetunde Haastrup of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
*Lady Obodoukwu – eminent Nigerian
*Lucy Ajayi – eminent Nigerian
*Joshua Mbu – eminent Nigerian
*B.A. Ogunbambi – eminent Nigerian
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