SIR: The National Council of State recently approved the pardon of Joshua Dariye, Jolly Nyame, and 157 other convicts following the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy. The 12-member committee, inaugurated by Buhari in 2018, is headed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned both Dariye and Nyame on account of embezzling public funds amounting to N1.126bn and N1.64bn respectively. It took over a decade of rigorous and diligent prosecution before the hammer of conviction fell on both. How could the country spend millions of naira, time and energy diligently prosecuting these cases only for the convicts to be set free at one meeting?
With the release of the duo, nobody needs to be told that anti-corruption has been compromised. A nation unduly pandering with her justice system in favour of the elites is already doomed. There should never be different strokes for different people in the face of the law and dispensation of justice. The full wrath of the law should evenly apply.
We are a nation which plays politics to the extent of turning truth on its head. When former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan pardoned late governor of Bayelsa State, Depriye Alamiyeseigha, hell was let loose by the then opposition APC. Both Nasir el-Rufai – the governor of Kaduna State and Festus Keyamo, now a minister in Buhari’s government, took the former government to the cleaners on that matter.
On February 27, 2015, Keyamo had twitted: “To GEJites: Give us 1 Good reason why pardon was granted to a convicted thief (Alams) when we are even looking for more ex-govs to send to jail.” He would issue an additional statement: “It is shocking, confusing, and disheartening that at a time when the general mood of the country indicates that the war against corruption is insincere, slow and a sham, the president deems it fit to even rubbish the very little work that has been done by the anti-corruption agencies in securing the conviction of these individuals. It is also disturbing that at a time when Nigeria is still ranking very low in the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International the president has further damaged the image of the country by this singular act”.
Governor Nasir el-Rufai, on his part was even more blistering. He said on a national television: “nobody said you should eradicate corruption but don’t go around – you know pardoning convicted people that have been convicted by regular court for corruption and you say you are fighting corruption. You are sending a wrong signal not only to those engaged in corruption but also to young people who see that there is reward in being corrupt. That is what Jonathan is doing. Tell me which government before him that pardoned corrupt criminals.”
Many have finally come to the sad conclusion that APC is not only worse but shamelessly corrupt. The release of these two high profile individuals has sent wrong signals to the international community on our sincerity in fighting graft. It shows how unserious our leaders are in entrenching transparency and accountability in governance. This underscores the fact that the evil of corruption will take more time to obliterate.
The implication is that those who are in position of authority can now go on stealing spree knowing fully well that even if they caught and with their connection to the corridors of power, the National Council of State need only sit once and they are free. In other words, laws are not meant for the rich. The poor in the society have been jailed for stealing foodstuffs while rich politicians who steal billions are merely given a slap on their wrists.
- Sunday Onyemaechi Eze,
sunnyez02@yahoo.com