Ozekhome Knocks Buhari over Pardon for Dariye, Nyame

Alex Enumah in Abuja
Rights activists and constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has condemned the recent state pardon granted to two former governors serving different jail terms upon conviction of corruption charges.

Ozekhome, while faulting the action of the president queried the basis for granting the pardon when the charge of corruption upon which they were convicted was not only a bane in the country but “struts around imperiously like a peacock”.

He said, “By granting pardon to these treasury looters, Buhari is reviving, nurturing and watering corruption with state powers”. 
Former governors of Plateau and Taraba States, Senator Joshua Dariye and Reverend Jolly Nyame are among 159 convicts and ex-convicts recently granted state pardon by the federal government.

The action by the government however has come under strong criticism by many Nigerians including Ozekhome.
In a statement titled: Legal and Moral Implications of Granting Pardon to Ex-convicts and Serving Prisoners, the senior lawyer was of the opinion that the decision to free the two governors who are still serving their jail terms was not in the interest of the people and capable of dampening the confidence of the citizenry in the national moral fabric, and in the fight against corruption.

“So, when the Council of State recently authorized the pardon of 159 convicts, including Senator Joshua Dariye of Plateau State and ex-Governor Jolly Nyame of Taraba State, who were both imprisoned for stealing N1.16 billion and N1.6 billion respectively, many Nigerians justifiably showed anger, because these two political leaders had been duly tried and convicted for stealing money belonging to their respective states”, he said.

The senior lawyer maintained that the purpose of criminal prosecution is to secure justice, not only for the accused, but also for the victims of crimes and the state; and to some extent get reparation and restitution for the victims, while deterring others from going the same route.

“Where lies the justice for the impoverished people of Plateau and Taraba States who will now watch their tormentors stroll out with red carpet treatment?

“The government budgets huge sums of money for the prosecution of such accused persons from the tax players’ sweat; and if after the rigorous period of trial and subsequent conviction, the guilty are simply let off the hook in such a brazen manner, the little remaining lean hope the citizens have in the system is further diminished”, he added. 

While stating that both the president and the Council of State goofed and abused their undoubted constitutional powers and privileges, Ozekhome explained that a constitutional issue as volatile as this could have been better managed if the minders of the president had told him the embarrassment this could cause the government in the estimation of the comity of nations. 

“This brazen abuse of power will definitely ricochet and erode the confidence of our international partners in the fight against corruption. It will also dampen the morale of the agencies fighting corruption, such as EFCC, the Nigeria Police Force, and the ICPC, amongst others.

“This singular ill-advised act of abuse of power will also definitely embolden political thieves and unrepentant pilferers of our national commonwealth. It shows that once you are a friend of the President or a member of his political party, or his acolyte and supporter, you can get away with any crime. In other words, in Nigeria, corruption surely pays!