-Uses Diya’s Pardon to Condone Alamiyeseigha
THE state pardon announced for former Number Two military ruler of Nigeria, General Oladipo Diya and the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, may have been exposed as cleverly-packaged fraud to take the steam out of expected popular anger to the provocative condonation issued the one-time elected boss to President Goodluck Jonathan, the disgraced former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Mr. Jonathan, often underrated as lacking in guile, is nevertheless meeting widespread condemnation and opposition for approving a state pardon for Alamieyeseigha, who was convicted for his disgraceful theft of public funds as governor of the oil-rich but infrastructurally and fiscally pauperized state of Bayelsa. Mr. Jonathan was deputy governor of the state while the mad looting by Mr. Alamieyeseigha lasted.
Findings by investigative reporters and civil society groups however show that the pardon announced for Lt. Gen. Diya, believed to have been indicted and convicted for a coup that never was, shed light on a dubious attempt at deceiving Nigerians and the entire world as Nigeria’s last military ruler, General Abdusalami Abubakar had already announced remission for Generals Diya, Obasanjo and Yar’Adua, among several others, in March of 1999.
The announcement of condonation for an already pardoned Oladipo Diya is therefore being interpreted by eagle-eyed Nigerian observers as an attempt to cushion the effect of the public uproar that was expected to greet the annulment of former governor Alamieyeseigha’s conviction, whose reckless theft of state funds happened while incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan was Number Two man to Mr. Alamieyeseigha.
A national daily, National Mirror, in its Friday edition recalled that General Abubakar had pardoned Diya and several others, some of whom were already dead in 1999.
The officers were among the 49 Nigerians pardoned, released from prison or had their sentences revoked by virtue of an order made on March 4, 1999 by Gen Abdulsalami.
Some of those pardoned also include Maj.-Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju, Col. Lawan Gwadabe, Col. Y. Bako, Senator Chris Anyanwu and Mr. Niran Malaolu.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the civil society groups have been mobilising against President Goodluck Jonathan following the state pardon granted Alamieyeseigha and the other ex-convicts.
A coalition of civil society groups, under the aegis of Civil Society Groups on Anti-Corruption and Good Governance, yesterday threatened to embark on a nationwide mass protest against the decision.
Leaders of the groups, including the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, Mr. Ibrahim Musa; the National Coordinator, United Action for Democracy, UAD, Jaye Gaskia; and the National Secretary, Zero Corruption Coalition, at a news briefing in Abuja faulted the President’s reprieve.
The groups said yesterday that the action was a veiled move to clear the coast for the realisation of the political ambition of the former governor in 2015 elections and other scheming.
But the Presidency yesterday expressed shock at the controversy being generated by the state pardon, explaining that Presidential pardon are not intended for nobility or saints, but meant for people who have actually committed crimes or breached the laws of the land.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, while appealing for openmindedness said that such issues were not a justifiable affair, but exercised discretionally.
Additionally, Mr. Okupe made the argument that Alamieyeseigha’s influence in the previously restive Niger-Delta region has benefitted Nigeria’s economy because he used his influence in the region to help quell the violence in the region.
Analysts to whom sharpedgenews.com have exclusive access however reveal that the real source of the relative peace and security in the region is the governor of the oil-rich state of Rivers, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who invested billions of dollars of oil money in the installation of sophisticated security machinery and personnel in the region.