Falana, Opadokun, others differ on gesture
THE Presidency Thursday said the pardon granted former Bayelsa State governor, Deprieye Alamieyeseigha, former Chief of General Staff (CGS), Lt.-Gen. Oladipo Diya (rtd) and others would not in any way adversely affect the anti-graft war.
Senior Special Assistant to the President, Dr. Doyin Okupe, at a press briefing in Abuja stated that "it is out of place to suggest that the pardon is tantamount to abandoning the fight against corruption."
Defending the pardon, he argued that the punishment that was meted out to those found guilty of criminal activities was not intended to destroy them but to serve as a corrective measure.
According to him, the granting of pardon was intended to convey forgiveness and facilitate peace process. "Pardon is granted in many countries when individuals have demonstrated that they have fulfilled their debt to the society, or are otherwise considered to be deserving it. Also, a Prerogative of Mercy, by definition, is not a justice-able affair. It has to do with discretion and the necessity to redress bitterness and thereby offer healing and forgiveness, especially in the presence of evidence of remorse and potential to add value to the country," Okupe explained.
Meanwhile, mixed reactions have continued to trail the presidential pardon. While former Secretary-General, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Chief Ayo Opadokun and Executive Secretary of the National Summit Group (NSG), Tony Uranta, justified it, Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana and civil society groups under the aegis of Civil Society Groups on Anti- Corruption and Good Governance kicked against the gesture.
Falana described the pardon to Lt.-Gen. Oladipo Diya (rtd), Major-Generals Abdulkareem Adisa and Tajudeen Olanrewaju, Col. Fadipe, Senator Chris Anyanwu and others as misleading as Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) pardoned them in 1999.
In a statement Thursday, Falana said the Presidency should stop playing on the collective intelligence of Nigerians "since there is no provision for double pardon under the law. In view of the grave official error, the list of the convicts granted unconditional pardon should be reviewed to avoid any further embarrassment.
Opadokun, however, commended the presidential pardon.
Opadokun, who spoke with The Guardian on phone , said: "While I will not in anyway support any form of corrupt act by public officers, the case of Alamieyeseigha was different because his impeachment was influenced and he was convicted by the power that be then."
Opadokun said anybody is free to read meaning to the fact that Jonathan is a former deputy governor of Bayelsa under Alamieyeseigha and now he is compensating his master by the pardon, "what I believe is that if the man had been allowed to face the law properly then, the outcome might have been different."
Addressing journalists in Lagos Thursday, Uranta stressed that the pardon granted to Alamieyeseigha by the National Council of State was deserved considering his role in pursuing the peace and progress of the Niger Delta region.
The Guardian