Soyinka, NBA oppose pardon for Alamieyeseigha, Ijaw Congress, Kalu disagree

Posted by admin Latest Politics, Uncategorized Thursday, March 21st, 2013

THERE may be no end yet to the criticisms trailing the recent presidential pardon granted the former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha as Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Niger Delta Civil Society Coalition (NDCSC) have faulted the pardon.

But, former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu and the Ijaw National Congress (INC) Wednesday said there was nothing wrong with the pardon granted the ex-Bayelsa State governor, saying that the President acted within the ambit of the law.

Kalu, however, called for state pardon for the three men executed for drug trafficking in Nigeria in1985.

Speaking at a press conference at Freedom Park, Lagos Wednesday, Soyinka, referring to a recent statement made by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati that the critics of the recent presidential pardon to Alamieyeseigha are suffering from sophisticated ignorance, said that he wants to join the band of the ignorant people.

“The pardon given to a notorious felon who is still a wanted man in the United Kingdom on certain charges. He jumped bail and this is not a credit to this nation and it is not a credit to you and me.

“It is not just a question of the money laundering and corruption, but for the fact that an officer of the law, which a governor is in this country went to another country and broke the laws of that nation, I believe that such a person should stay quiet and not bring himself into prominence or be brought into prominence as being representative of what is pardonable in the society.

“And so, I just want to say to you that I have joined the ranks of the ignorants and I criticise and I deplore this decision of President Jonathan to grant pardon to Alamieyeseigha and also try to confuse the issue by listing those who were victims of injustice, those who were wrongly convicted under the most brutal dictatorship we ever had; the era of Sani Abacha… Of lumping everybody together as if a political crime, if there was one is to be treated on the same level as a felony or as criminal act.

“His is trying to implant wrong kind of education and understanding in our youths and I personally resent it and all decent citizens will also do same.”

Speaking in Abuja at the commissioning of the Association’s Web-Portal website, the NBA President, Chief Okey Wali (SAN) said the pardon was more of a moral issue than a legal one, pointing out that that has accounted for the public outcry. “Unless you know what the Council of States put into consideration in granting Alamieyeseigha and others the State pardon, you cannot say much on it, but to me as a lawyer, it was a bad signal to the fight against corruption”, the NBA boss said while fielding questions from reporter.

He said the President has the power under the constitution to grant State pardon to any Nigerian citizen, in consultation with the Council of State, but the issue is whether he used the constitutional powers right or wrongly.

Commenting also on the proposed fuel increase by President Jonathan, Wali said the Federal Government needs to put in place necessary infrastructures, which he promised January last year before removing fuel subsidy in the country.

Kalu said in a statement that the death penalty given the trio was too harsh and punitive for an offence considered mild —under the law as at 1985.

The trio — Bartholomew Owoh, 26; Bernard Ogedegbe, 29; and Lawal Ojulope, 30 – were executed by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s military administration, for drug trafficking.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in a statement by his Media Manager, Emeka Obasi, Kalu said: “The decree that nailed them was backdated and the Justice Adebayo Desalu tribunal condemned the alleged drug couriers to death.

“Owoh’s last words still make me to shiver: `I did not pray to die like this; this is a terrible death. If I knew it was going to result into death, God knows that I would never have had anything to do with it’.”

“They deserve to be pardoned post-humously.’’

INC spokesperson, Victor Burubo told The Guardian in Port Harcourt that if President Goodluck Jonathan has in the interest of peace and desire to heal the wounds of yesterday, decided to grant pardon to some select Nigerians, he had merely exercised his prerogative of mercy, hence, that does not concern the United States (U.S.).

The INC said it was wrong for people to single out the former Bayelsa State whereas all those granted pardon alongside with him were convicted for different reasons.
-Guardianwp_posts