STATE PARDON: FAMILY BEGS JONATHAN TO CONSIDER VATSA

FAMILY of the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Late Major General Maman Vatsa have appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to extend the pardon granted former military officers indicted in coup plots to their patriarch and nine others implicated in the 1986 coup against the regime of military President Ibrahim Babangida.

This appeal came on the heels of the state pardon granted military officers implicated in the 1995 and 1997 military coups, by the Council of State on Tuesday in Abuja on the request of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking to newsmen in Minna yesterday on behalf of the family, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, a nephew to the late General said that the family salute the courage of the government in pardoning officers implicated in the coups against General Sani Abacha but appealed that the gesture be extended to Gen. Maman Vatsa and nine others 'framed up' in the 1986 phantom coup.

According to the spokesman of the Vatsa family "we salute courage of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Council of State in granting pardon to officers implicated in military coups, we pray that Mr. President will extend this gesture to Major General Maman Vatsa and nine others who were unjustly implicated against public outcry and executed by the administration of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida in 1986".

Jonathan Vatsa said the family had made several appeals to successive administrations for a state pardon for the late military leader and nine others.

He recalled a letter the family wrote to former President Olusegun Obasanjo appealing for state pardon for the former FCT Minister and 9 others, but lamented that the request was turned down.

"Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was approached by the family, even my late Uncle's wife, Shefiat, made several efforts before she died two years ago but Obasanjo refused, arguing that he (OBJ) will not want to open old wound in the military,'' Jonathan Vatsa recalled.

Also, Jonathan Vatsa, the first son of the former FCT Minister, Mr. Haruna Vatsa in a chat with newsmen said that the struggle for state pardon for his late father has been topmost of the family's desires and passionately appealed to the federal government to extend the pardon to his father and nine others.

According to him "those granted pardon on Tuesday by Mr. President were alleged to have committed the same offence with my father, Major General Maman Vatsa and nine others, though at different times, we expect that the gesture will be extended to all. We appeal to the President to consider those implicated in 1986 coup and similar pardon extended to them.”

He recalled that before his mother's death she reached out to people soliciting for state pardon for his father and nine others, but was unable to actualize this.

"It is our hope and prayer that if President Jonathan can accede to our request and grant my father and nine others implicated in the phantom coup of 1986 like he did to the likes of Generals Oladipo Diyo, Tajudeen Olarenwaju and Abdulkareem Adisa who were implicated during Abacha regime, my mother in her grave and the entire Vatsa family will remain grateful to the federal government.

"This was what my mother struggled for before she died. I beg President Jonathan to consider and grant my father and nine others pardon too".

Source: Compass