If Dariye And Nyame Have Truly Been Pardoned, Then I Weep For Nigeria — J. S. Okutepa, SAN

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, has expressed concern over the alleged pardon of former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye; and ex-Governor Jolly Nyame of Taraba State, who were both imprisoned for stealing N1.16bn and N1.6bn respectively.

The two ex-governors were among 159 prisoners pardoned by the Council of State at a meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday.

Among the beneficiaries are a former military general and minister under the Sani Abacha regime, Tajudeen Olanrewaju, an army lieutenant colonel, Akiyode, who was an aide of former deputy to General Abacha, Oladipo Diya; and all the junior officers jailed over the 1990 abortive Gideon Orkar coup.

Okutepa opines that if Dariye and Nyame Have been pardoned, then it will be unfair to keep those jailed for petty theft in prison to complete their jail terms. The learned silk described the pardon as recklessly done and a joke taken too far.

He said, “If the news making round is true that the president has granted state pardon to former Governor of Plateau and Taraba States, then it is unconscionable and grossly unfair to keep those who were jailed for petty theft in prison to complete their jail terms.

“These two politically exposed persons were tried and convicted for stealing our commonwealth. The three tiers of courts in Nigeria were unanimous in their verdicts that they were corrupt and corruptly enriched themselves while serving as governors of their respective states. They betrayed the trusts of the people while serving as chief executives of their states. They pilfered the resources of the states meant for development.

“I like many reasonable Nigeria’s cannot believe that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will be persuaded and advised and be this reckless to grant them amnesty. This is joke taken too far.

“What is the basis wasting resources prosecuting them and others in the first place. What lessons are we been told to learn here? The lessons that steal while in power, get convicted and you get pardoned? Nigeria is a joke. Those in power take us as fools. What kind of prerogative of mercy is this? There is an abuse in this prerogative of mercy. How did we find ourselves in this mess?”

Okutepa further opined that the pardon is a betrayal if the constitutional mandate on the president to fight corruption and also a sabotage on the efforts of agencies such as EFCC and ICPC in fight against corruption.

Okutepa lamentably said that no wonder corruption is the most lucrative business in Nigeria.

“The Nigerian constitution imposes a duty on Mr. president and all those in power to eradicate corruption. ICPC and EFCC and other security outfits were set up to achieve that purpose. Then these agencies will do their work and someone in the name of prerogative of mercy will sabotage their work by granting pardon to those the agencies labored to investigate and prosecuted to conviction.

“I have not seen a country where people brazenly abuse power using constitution like Nigeria. Granted that the constitution gives the president and the state governors the powers to grant amnesty or prerogative of mercy to some convicts in deserving cases the exercise of such power must not be done in abuse of power and to insult the sensibilities of Nigerians.

“It is too fresh in our memories the degree of corruption in Nigeria to pardon those who were found guilty of corruption and corrupt enrichment through due processes of law. How will the Federal Government convince Nigerians that it is serious about fighting corruption now.

“I suggest that these ex governors be not only pardoned but they should be given the highest honour in the land as the most celebrated governors who did well be stealing the commonwealth of their states and pardoned by government whose mantras was fighting corruption but whose act in pardoning those who were jail has now encouraged people to steal while in power.

“No wonder this government seems to be looking the other ways when employments are being sold to Nigerians. What a country what a pity. I weep for Nigeria and Nigerians. No wonders corruption is the most lucrative business ventures in Nigeria.

“No wonder those in power see corruption as a means of making money. No wonder nobody is policing anybody to stop corruption. No wonder in the mist of plenty resources Nigerians are wallowing in abject poverty. No wonder those who have failed us in all areas of governance have set up themselves to continue to loot our commonwealth. No wonder nothing works in Nigeria. No wonder we are at the mercy of those who ought to be at the mercy of Nigerians. I weep for Nigeria and Nigerians. It is sad that we being inflicted with aggravated punishment in the name of governance in Nigeria.” Okutepa said