The Presidency has said that it really does not matter what
the people’s views are concerning President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to
grant state pardon to some Nigerians convicted for corruption.
Femi Adesina, the Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity said there are some Nigerians who will criticise anything the
government does, however positive or negative.
The President’s Spokesman, who appeared on Channels
Television on Friday, said people will always have rights to their views but it
does not mean that those views are “casting concrete” or “the holy grave”.
Former Governors of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, and
Taraba, Jolly Nyame, were recently given a clean bill years after conviction
for graft.
Recall that during a Council of State meeting attended by
former Heads of State, former Chief Justices of the federation, Governors,
sitting President and Vice President last week, the former governors convicted
for corruption and imprisoned, were granted state pardon by the Council of
State on the approval of Buhari and the recommendation of the Presidential
Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM) report.
“What were the reasons for their pardon? You know there is a
Prerogative of Mercy Committee which will seat and look at all the
presentations made to it on people who have applied to be pardoned under the
prerogative of mercy,” Adesina said.
“And that Committee would make a recommendation to the
Council of State and that debated back and forth and the reason for pardoning
those two former governors was one age and severe ill health .
“What does anybody gain should eventually they die in
prison? And two of them are said to be in a very very bad shape. I have not
seen how that pardon vitiate the war against corruption in any way because the
war continues.
“I don’t see how it depreciate it. It depends on how you see
it. Do you know that there are some Nigerians who will criticise anything
however positive or negative,” he said.
Asked if the current administration does not care about the
views of the people, Adesina went on, “People will always have rights to their
views but it doesn’t mean that those views are casting concrete. It doesn’t
mean that those views are holy graves…”
On whether the government is actually working for the
people, he said, “That is why the government has a mandate.
“When you vote in a government it has the prerogative to
exercise the mandate you have given it. The reason for the pardon was age and
health.
“The government gains nothing if those former governors die
in prison. Nobody abhors corruption more than the President so for him to have
concord to that recommendation of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee is a high
morality.”
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