NIGERIA, US FIGHT OVER ALAMS’ PARDON •WE ARE DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED -US •STOP MEDDLING IN OUR AFFAIRS—FG

The United states of America and Nigeria on Friday exchanged very hot words over the pardon of former Bayelsa state governor, Diepreye Alamieyesigha by the federal government.

The US had said it was deeply disappointed over the pardon describing it as a setback in the fight against corruption.

But the Federal Government, reacted summoning the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy, James McAnulty over the statement credited to the spokeswoman of the Embassy, Deb MacLean on the Embassy’s Twitter account stating that US government was deeply disappointed over the pardon granted Alamieyeseigha.

During the summon, the government protested what it described as an act of meddling in the  internal matters of the country by the United States and expressed the hope that the embassy would henceforth desist from making unwarranted comments on Nigeria’s internal affairs which it noted were capable of undermining the friendly relations that existed between both countries.

In a protest conveyed via a diplomatic note, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the comment and described it as undue interference and meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of Nigeria.

A ministry source which was privy to the summon told Saturday Tribune that the Federal Government  pointed out that this was not the first time it or any government elsewhere would grant state pardon to individuals who had committed one crime or the other.

“The Ministry further stressed that the pardon granted to Alamieyeseigha was entirely consistent with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution,” the source said.

Reacting to the pardon through its tweeter handle, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria had said it was “deeply disappointed over the recent pardon granted corrupt officials by the government of Nigeria.”

“We see this as a setback in the fight against corruption,” it said on its tweeter handle @USEmbassy.

Also, anti-corruption organisation, Transparency International, condemned the exercise and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to rescind the pardon.

“Transparency International, the global anti-corruption organisation, calls on President Goodluck Jonathan to rescind the pardon granted to Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the former governor of the oil-rich state of Bayelsa, who was convicted for money laundering and other serious corruption offences in 2007.

“This decision undermines anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria and encourages impunity. If the government is serious about uprooting public corruption, sanctions against those who betray the public trust should be strengthened, not relaxed,” said Akere Muna, the Vice-chair of Transparency International.

TI said further: “President Jonathan should show that he is committed to fighting corruption and endorse the efforts of law enforcement agencies to end impunity for corrupt officials.

“Nigeria was ranked 139 out of 174 countries in the 2012 Corruption Perception Index. Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has prosecuted and convicted a number of high-profile corrupt individuals since its inception in 2003, but most of them have escaped effective sanctions.”

Alamieyeseigha served as governor of Bayelsa State from 1999 through 2005. He was arrested in London after more than $1 million in cash was found in his home there.

The former governor escaped British authorities, allegedly disguised as a woman, and fled to Nigeria, where he enjoyed immunity from prosecution as a sitting governor. He was then later impeached and charged with illegally operating foreign accounts in London, Cyprus, Denmark and the United States.

Investigators said that Alamieyeseigha acquired property in Britain and Nigeria worth more than $10 million. He later pleaded guilty.

Source: Tribune