The Presidency, Thursday, declared that the stabilising role the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha played to ensure that oil in the Niger Delta was not cut off earned him the state pardon even as the Nigerian Labour Congress and civil society groups insist that the state pardon granted Alamieyeseigha was unacceptable.
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Addressing journalists in Abuja, Thday, Senior Special Assistant to President Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, argued that since his release from the prison, Alamieyeseigha had been assisting President Goodluck Jonathan silently to ensure that the amnesty programme of the Federal Government succeeds.
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He noted that no state pardon will remove the fact that the former Bayelsa governor was criminal, stressing that state pardon was for criminals.
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The Presidency, however, appealed to Nigerians and members of the civil societies for open mindedness on the pardon granted the former Bayelsa governor, even as it reminded Nigerians that Alamieyeseigha was removed from office in a manner that was suggested by many as not being entirely above board.
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Okupe stressed that the former governor had suffered enough for his sins these years and demonstrated enough soberness after he served his sentence. He added that with the pardon he was now a free man to engage in any endeavour he would wish to go into, even contesting for elective positions.
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"Pardon is for criminals"
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Okupe said: "I want to state categorically here, that state or presidential pardon is not intended for nobility or saints. In general, a state pardon is for those who have committed crimes and breached the laws of the land and may or may not have been tried or convicted regardless of their social status.
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"He lost his position, forfeited the property illegally acquired and has demonstrated enough soberness after he served his sentence. It is out of place to suggest that the pardon is tantamount to abandoning the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
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This is too far from the truth.
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"People have stated that President Jonathan said publicly that Alamieyeisegha was his political benefactor. This is a display of extreme humility and honesty on the part of Mr. President.
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"In this day that virtually all political benefactors usually turn into enemy number one and are therefore hounded to the ground by the incumbents.
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"It was God and providence that lifted President Jonathan over and above his former political boss.
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But in truth Alamieyeisegha, since he left prison, has been working strenuously and silently to assist the President stabilise the amnesty in the Niger Delta Region.
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"Alamieyesiegha is a foremost leader of the Ijaw nation, and his political and stabilising influence in that region have impacted positively on the overall economy of the nation, bringing crude oil exports from the abysmally low level of 700,00 bpd to over 2.4 million bpd.
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"Therefore, it is obvious that Alamieyeseigha has been a major player since his release from prison in ensuring that the blood that runs through the Nigerian economic artery is not cut off."