The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) has declared that former governors Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye of Taraba and Plateau States are undeserving of the recent presidential pardon granted to them by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group said the pardon which has made mockery of the anti-graft law was manifestly undeserving, blatantly discriminatory and distasteful.
It said the Council of
State let the nation down by not rejecting the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee of Prerogative of Mercy to pardon Nyame and
Dariye adding that the pardon has effectively killed the anti-graft war.
The NAS Capoon, Mr Abiola Owoaje in a statement titled ‘Presidential Pardon for Corrupt Ex- Governors: Buhari’s death knell for the anti-graft war’ said the intention of presidential pardon is not for the likes of Nyame and Dariye.
“The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) is extremely disappointed by the unfortunate decision of the Council of State. We are saddened that the Council which courageously reportedly turned down a state pardon for former Bank PHB, Managing Director, Francis Atuche also serving jail term for corruption, could not display the same courage and reject the request to pardon Nyame and Dariye.
“Whatever the rationale behind acquiescing to the recommendation of the committee to pardon the two corrupt former governors before serving out their prison terms the nation has been let down by this eminent body,”
According to him their pardon has unfortunately lend justifiable credence to speculations that its intention was to shore up the battered image of the ruling party and give it a bounce ahead of the 2023 elections.
Owoaje who pointed out that the presidential pardon is inconsistent with Sections 15(5), 17(a) and 42, added that it also miserably falls below standards, measures and rules in the United Nations Convention against corruption.
He admitted that corruption in the country predates the President Buhari’s administration, stressing that “his numerous assurances that he would fight and defeat corruption was one of the key reasons Nigerians elected him in 2015 and re-elected him in 2019.”
“Seven years down the line, Nigerians are still bearing with the oft repeated refrain that “we must kill corruption before it kills us” as the only tangible reference to demonstrate the President’s acclaimed commitment to tackle corruption,” Owoaje said.
“Well meaning Nigerians had hoped that President Buhari would be able to summon the courage and salvage his administration tepid anti-graft war. Sadly the Presidential pardon has made mockery of the war against corruption. Unequivocally, the grim implication of the presidential pardon, aside the demoralising effect it would have on anti-graft officials, is the fact that it has effectively sabotaged the war against graft. It certainly would embolden our well- heeled citizens to engage in corruption with the belief that they can be granted pardon by their friends in government. We have previously recommended to the government steps to take to tackle corruption but the administration’s latest action has shown that it is not willing to lift a finger to fight corruption. In granting state pardon to corrupt individuals, President Buhari has conferred on himself the status of the Chief Undertaker that sounded the death knell for his administrations’ anti-graft war,” he said.
