WHY ALAMIEYESEIGHA, OTHERS’ PARDON CANNOT BE QUESTIONED – OKUPE

From the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs came an advice: It is disrespectful to query Tuesday’s pardon granted the disgraced former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepriye Alamieyeseigha and seven others.

Confirming the presidential pardon at Tuesday’s Council of State meeting, Okupe said though the decision might not sit well with some Nigerians, there is no reason to whip up needless sentiments over a decision reached at the highest level of governance in the country and in accordance with the country’s Constitution.

The presidential aide, who spoke earlier Wednesday on a live programme, Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, wondered why Nigerian have taken to the social media critiquing the listing of Alamieyeseigha as one of the beneficiaries of the presidential pardon.

He insisted that the convicted ex governor has suffered enough having gone to jail and forfeited some of the stolen property to the state.

He said: “The relationship between President Jonathan and Alamieyeseigha is not something that is hidden neither is it something that is immoral. It was a pardon that was granted by the highest institution in the country. It is not every decision that a parent takes that is palatable to the children. But, later, you find out that you have taken the right decision as a parent. ”

“The Council is empowered to grant the pardon. And why is all this noise about Alamieyeseigha and the pardon? Is it because it is him? Is it because he is a Niger Deltan? Is it because of his closeness to Jonathan? Even in our laws, though I am not a lawyer, there are certain offences that you commit and after ten years, you receive presidential pardon. There is a Yoruba saying that says: “you asked a thief to run, he runs. You asked him to drop what he has stolen, he did. What else do you want from him?”

Speaking further, Okupe noted that: “The National Council of State, comprising all former Heads of State, all retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, all serving Governors of the federation of Nigeria and including the leadership of the a National Assembly and President Goodluck Jonathan himself met yesterday (Tuesday).

“They deliberated on several issues and, at that Council, approved pardon for many Nigerians including, some of them, post-humorously. They include the late Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, late General Adisa, Gen. Oladipo Diya, Major Fadipe, D. S. P. Alamieyeseigha and a couple of others. I think there are eight of them.

“Some others that were listed were stepped down for various reasons as given by the Council. It was not just that the approval was just granted like that. This is the highest decision-making council in the country. Eight Nigerians were granted pardon and I have listed about six of them including the former governor of Bayelsa State.”

Source: The Nation