PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES
The National Council of States on Thursday ratified the presidential pardon granted the late ex-governor of old Bendel State, Prof. Ambrose Alli over N900,000 corruption charge and three other Nigerians.
Others pardoned are Col. Moses Effiong, Major E.J Olarenwaju (for attempted coup in the Ibrahim Babangida era) and Ajayi Olusola Babalola.
Persecondnews recalls that Alli ruled the state 1979—1983, now Edo and Delta states) on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria.
Although Ali later paid the money back to government, he was convicted by the military tribunal.
In attendance were four former heads of states – Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; Chief Earnest Shonekan, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and Dr Goodluck Jonathan, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, however, was absent.
The ratification followed Malami’s presentation to the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.
“The memo presented for consultation in line with one of the constitutional requirements and consideration of grant of pardon to 45 persons, two inmates for pardon, 39 inmates for clemency and four ex-convict for presidential pardon.
“To further clarify on the prerogative of mercy, Mr. president with COVID-19 pandemic, has directed the decongestion of our correctional centers across the country.
“And by way of collaborative action, the governors, heads of courts across the nations, have worked assiduously in collaboration with the presidential committee on decongestion of our correctional centers and at the end of the day we have succeeded in taking out over 4,000 inmates out of our correctional centers across the country.
“What we have today is a consolidation of what has been done and the strategies put in place to see to the decongestion of our correctional centers.
“As you are aware, more than 70 percent inmates in our correctional centers were awaiting trial across the country and a lot of considerations were put in place to ensure our correctional centers are decongested d the prerogative of mercy was one of such considerations by Mr. President,” he said.
Malami said the the Council of State also approved the appointment of two new legal practitioners as members of Federal Judicial Service Commission.
The AGF explained that the law confers on President Buhari the right to appoint members of the federal judicial service commission, subject to consultation with the council of State.
He said: “The exercise this morning relating to the presentation of the council memo was for the purpose of fulfilling the constitutional righteousness relating to the appointment of the two new legal practitioners, in essence it is to consult with the council of state out of desire for compliance with constitutional requirements.
“The two members to represent Nigerian Bar Association on the federal judicial service commission are Namoso Ekanem (SAN), from Akwa Ibom state representing the South South geo-political zone and Mammud Abubakar Mogaji (SAN) from Niger State to represent the North-Central geo-political zone.”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, on his part, said the Council also approved the appointment of Mr Silas Agara, as the Chairman of National Population Commission.
Members of the commission are: Muhammed Chuso A. Dottijo, (Sokoto); Alhaji Razaq Gidado, (Kwara); Ibrahim Mohammed, (Bauchi); Joseph Kwai Shazin, (FCT); Engineer Bala Almu Banya, (Katsina); and Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin (Lagos).
President Buhari had in two separate letters dated March 20 and August 12, 2020, nominated Agara, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, to head the NPC.
Mustapha said council members also commended the Presidential Task Force on national response on COVID-19.
He said the council noted that the impact of the panel on the nation’s economy and the fact that it has exposed the weaknesses in the system.
Also, the National Security Adviser, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Mungonu, briefed on the security challenges facing the country and that the setting of National Centre for Control of Small and Light Weapons is to be domiciled in his office.
The Director General of Budget Office, Mr Ben Akabueze, who stood in for the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, said he briefed the council on the nation’s troubled economy, warned that because of the effect of COVID-19 pandemic and drop in oil prices, the country might fall into recession.
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