STATE PARDON WON'T WEAKEN ANTI - GRAFT WAR, FG REPLIES US

President  Goodluck  Jonathan

• Tukur defends president’s action  
• CPC calls on Senate to compel Jonathan to reverse decision

By Tokunbo Adedoja, Chuks Okocha and Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The Federal Government Saturday assured the United States (US) that notwithstanding the pardon granted some former government officials, including former Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who was jailed for corruption, the anti-graft war was still on course.

The US at the weekend had expressed disappointment with the state pardon granted some former Nigerian officials who were jailed for corruption and also expressed concern that it was a setback for the nation’s anti-corruption crusade.

It also hinted that the action could affect collaboration between both countries, just as it disclosed that it would continue to look at “what is appropriate” in terms of its reaction, a remark diplomatic sources said could imply cutting back aid or imposing sanctions on state officials linked to the issue.

Many groups and individuals have criticised the state pardon for Alamieyeseigha, which was considered in some circles as a tacit encouragement for corruption.

The former governor was convicted on a six-count charge of money laundering after his removal from office in 2005 and was sentenced to jail for two years.

Besides Alamieyeseigha, others pardoned included a former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua; a former Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya; former Minister of Works, the late Maj. Gen. Abdulkareem Adisa; former Managing Director, Bank of the North, Alhaji Shettima Bulama; ex-Major Bello Magaji; and Alhaji Mohammed Lima Biyu.

Reacting to the subtle threat from the American government, the Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Prof. Adebowale Adefuye, in a statement yesterday said the fight against corruption was on course.

Nigeria’s assurance to the US came on the same day that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) expressed divergent views over the pardon.

While PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, defended the pardon, saying the beneficiaries had earned it through their conduct and contributions to national growth over the years, the CPC urged the Senate to make the president reverse the decision or in the alternative impeach him.

Adefuye said notwithstanding the diplomatic friction between both countries over a tweet by the US embassy on the pardon and the protest registered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the bond between both countries was “much stronger than what the Alamieyeseigha issue can weaken.”

He added: “The American government through the embassy in Nigeria made its feelings on the issue of the pardon known. We have taken note of it.
“What the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took exception to was the manner in which it was conveyed. There are clearly more internationally acceptable practices of conveying impressions rather than through the twitter.”

The envoy also explained that contrary to media reports, no highly-placed official of the American embassy in Nigeria was summoned to the ministry for questioning or interrogation,” adding that “what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rightly did was to send a note protesting the use of twitter as a means of conveying official reaction to an issue.”

Speaking further, he said: “On the pardon granted by Mr. President, it is impossible to question Dr. Goodluck Jonathan's exercise of the prerogative of mercy granted him by the relevant provisions of our constitution.
“We are prepared to admit the rights of our friends to comment on the issue since it is now a matter of public knowledge.

“We understand the furore caused by the inclusion of the ex-governor. The statement recently made by Dr. Doyin Okupe explains government's rationale. This will form part of the response of the embassy in Washington to questions that might arise in the future.”

Adefuye, while further expressing Nigeria's commitment to the fight against corruption, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would continue to prosecute highly-placed personalities involved in the oil subsidy scandal.

“We have made considerable progress on the exchange of visits by the two presidents. More meetings have been planned on my return to base by Monday. My contacts with those who matter did not indicate any intention to put any of these visits on hold.

“The simple fact is that because of very basic and fundamental reasons, Nigeria and the United States are strategic partners on important global issues.

“And Vice-President Joe Biden told his Nigerian counterpart, Namadi Sambo, that Nigeria is America's anchor in Africa,” he added.

Adefuye also noted that while he was in Nigeria during last week's trade mission on infrastructure development from the US, he received calls asking for an explanation on the rationale for the inclusion of the ex-governor, adding, “the explanation I offered, and the assurance that this does not affect our commitment to the war against corruption, seems to have satisfied some of our friends, after all a PDP vice-chairman (Bode George) who has already served his jail sentence was not included.”

The ambassador also shed light on the non-designation of Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation, saying: "I wish to declare without any fear of contradiction that our engagement in the mission with the various stakeholders in the US has knocked the bottom out of the argument of those who want Boko Haram to be declared a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) with obvious adverse consequences on Nigeria and even the US itself.

“Americans in the three tiers of government now appreciate the quality and importance of co-operation between American and Nigeria security agencies and how much it has helped in containing and curtailing the activities of Boko Haram.
“An FTO designation will be a job killer for some sections of the American business and industrial establishments.”

He said Nigeria and US would continue to cooperate through the intelligence fusion centres and other counter-terrorism measures to end the Boko Haram insurgency “in the same manner the United Kingdom solved the IRA problem and Spain is dealing with ETA.”

Tukur, who was also reacting to the criticism of the president over the pardon, in a statement yesterday, said the beneficiaries of the state pardon deserved it based on their conduct over the years as well as the contributions they have been making in the task of ensuring peace, progress and prosperity of Nigeria.

He also berated the opposition parties for inciting Nigerians on the issue, stating that the idea of granting amnesty falls within the exclusive powers of the president as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

He explained that it was wrong for any political party, group or individual to harass Jonathan for granting pardon to those who deserved such, stating that the beneficiaries of the amnesty had over the years shown by their conduct, that they deserved to be pardoned.

According to him, in granting the pardon, the attitude and behaviour of the beneficiaries were taken into consideration, and the contribution of each of them to national growth and development made the president grant them the state pardon as a means of getting them fully integrated into the society.
He said there was nothing wrong in what the president did as long as he took legal steps in doing it.

“I cannot understand why our people are politicising the issue of amnesty so granted by Mr. President. The question is, do you grant pardon to the innocent? No! amnesty is granted to those people who did some wrong and after some time, their behaviour and attitude showed that the wrong they did was just a slip. We all call on our God to grant us mercy on the wrongs we do to him minute by minute.

“The PDP did not see President Jonathan committing any breach of our laws by granting the amnesty. He allowed the constitution to guide his steps. Moreover, he consulted widely before taking the step.

“We should stop harassing him because those he had granted the amnesty to are responsible citizens of Nigeria who, in spite of the allegations against them, have continued to assist the Federal Government, the PDP and their respective states to overcome certain challenges,” he said.

On its part, the CPC yesterday urged the Senate to demand the reversal of the state pardon granted Alamieyeseigha and Bulama or consider the impeachment of the president for gross abuse of executive authority.
In a statement by CPC's National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, the party said it was adding its voice to the vociferous condemnation of the pardon.

He said what particularly attracted condemnation to the pardon was the inclusion of two persons convicted for corruption and urged the Senate to mitigate the national embarrassment arising from the president’s action by calling for the rescission of the pardon for Alamieyeseigha and Bulama.

“It is therefore our considered view in the Congress for Progressive  Change (CPC) that the Nigerian Senate should mitigate this national embarrassment from the president’s action by suing for the rescission of this amnesty order on Mr Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and Mr Shettima  Bulama; or in the event of refusal, to commence impeachment proceedings for gross abuse of executive authority and total disregard for the feelings of the Nigerian people,” he said.

Fashakin said the president by its action “is not only festering the cankerworm of corruption but implicitly encouraging the succeeding generation on imbibing that culture.