IT emerged in Abuja on Thursday that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan decided to grant state pardon to former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha for critical political and security reasons.
An official document sighted indicated six reasons the government considered Alamieyeseigha’s pardon. According to the document, the government discovered that part of the plea bargain entered into by the former Bayelsa State governor included a presidential pardon, which was to be granted by the administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua.
The document also indicated that the administration has decided to firm up any source of insurgency in the Niger Delta area following growing activities of the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which has put parts of the Northern part of Nigeria under tension.
It was also gathered that the government considered the behavior of the former governor since his release from Prison and confirmed that he has been remorseful and had contributed positively to the rise in the daily oil output of the government from some 700 barrels per day to 2.4 million currently.
The document read in part: “Part of the plea bargain agreement reached with the late President Yar’Adua included a pardon after conviction and jail term, this was not actualised due to Yar’Adua’s death. This was the precedence in 2,000, where a pardon was granted by then President Obasanjo, in the case of perjury and forgery against the convicted former Speaker of the House, Salisu Buhari, immediately upon his guilty plea and subsequent conviction.”
According to the document, said to have emanated from the intelligence arm of the administration, the incarceration of Alamieyeseigha and Asari Dokubo, also coincided with the height in militancy in the Niger Delta and armed struggle which brought down oil production output and that allowing him to engage the youths of the area could have further positive impact on oil production.
The document further read: “The incarceration of Alamieyesiegha and Asari Dokubo, signaled the transformation of the Niger Delta conflict from one of peaceful agitation and on to pipeline vandalism and full blown armed conflict, this was because of the widely held perception in that area of both individuals as selfless advocates of the common aspirations, which subsists to this day.
Courtesy: Nigerian Tribune