The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe has called for an objective and humane consideration over the state pardon granted a former Beyelsa state Governor, Chief Diepriye Alamieyeseigha by the Council of State.
Dr. Okupe who addressed a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday said he was not only speaking in his capacity as a presidential aide “but also as a Patriot, a Statesman and a Stakeholder in the Nigerian Polity”.
According to him, pardons are granted in many countries when individuals have demonstrated that they have fulfilled their debt to society, or are otherwise considered to deserve it.
He said he was using the medium to appeal to Nigerians and distinguished members of the Civil Societies for open mindedness on the issue.
“This is our country and our dearly beloved nation which we all owe a duty to nurture, protect, preserve and ensure that after a hundred years of its existence, we hand it over to the next generation as one prosperous indivisible entity where justice, equity and peace reign”, he stressed.
He reminded Nigerians that the question of legality or lawfulness of the pardon granted by the National Council of Sate is contained in Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution where body derives such powers.
On the insinuation in some quarters that the decision is morally wrong and will send bad signals on government’s anti-corruption crusade, he informed that “these two considerations are my major objectives in addressing this conference and I once again wish to plead earnestly that our people should hear me out and allow us to reason together.
“On the issue of morality, 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.
“A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the cancellation of the relevant penalty; it is usually granted by the head of state (such as a monarch or president) or by acts of parliament or a religious authority.
Drawing examples from the United States of America, Dr. Okupe insisted that state pardon 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 exhibited by the ex-convict.
“This is what made President George H.W Bush in 1992 to say when earlier wars have ended, Presidents have always used their powers to pardon to put bitterness behind us, and look to the future. This healing tradition reaches at least from President James Madison’s pardon of La Titte’s pirates after the war of 1812, to Andrew Johnson’s pardon of soldiers who fought for the confederacy, to Harry Truman’s and Jimmy Carter’s pardons of those who violated the selective service laws in World War II and Vietnam”.
Speaking further the presidential aide believed that the tradition must have informed President Bill Clinton when he pardoned Fife Syminghton III, former Republican Governor of Arizona who was convicted of Bank fraud just as President Bill Clinton similarly ignited a firestorm of controversy when he pardoned MarcRich, who was charged, in 1983, with cheating the United States Government of nearly $ 50 Million US Dollars and doing business with Iran during the hostage crisis but Rich was never tried as he fled to Switzerland to avoid prosecution.
While educating the public on the matter he insisted that, the bastions of leadership of the International Community which Nigeria’s enlightened citizenry are always too eager to use as bench-mark of good governance and democratic propriety have their own characteristics just as Nigeria has deviced its strategies in handling her socio-political at economic issues.
Recalling that Alamieyeseigha was removed from office tried, found guilty and adequately punished he pointed out that Nigerian’s seems to have forgot too early all the former governor went through.
“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.
“But in truth Alamieyeisegha since he left prison has been working strenuously and silently to assist the President stabilize the amnesty in the Niger Delta Region. Alamieyeisegha is a foremost leader of the Ijaw Nation, and his political and stabilizing 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!
“Therefore, it is obvious that, Alamieyeisegha 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.
While walking down the memory lane, Dr. Okupe said, in the history of Nigeria, “great and eminent men who have been crucified for one crime or the other have been pardoned by past Presidents and such men have lived thereafter to further enhance our political and socio-economic development. Amongst those are our respected departed sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the revered Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu who continued after their pardon to contribute immensely to Nigeria’s social, political and economic growth till death”.
He also announced that his department will henceforth hold a bi monthly interactive forum with registered members of the Civil Society Organisations and other critical stakeholders in the society.
The programme will be coordinated by the Special Asistant to the President on Public Relations ,Dr Olusanya Awosan, and Alhaji Nasir Zaharadeen, the Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs which in view will facilitate an efficient two way information traffic between the Public and the government.