By James Orji
Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s pardon for two former governors convicted for corruption as discriminatory.
Formers governors Jolly Nyame and Joseph Dariye, of Taraba and Plateau states, respectively, were convicted for corruption, but have now been pardoned by the president.
The two ex-governors were jailed for cumulatively stealing close to N3 billion belonging to their states, and are yet to serve half of their jail terms.
On Wednesday, the president pardoned the former governors alongside 157 others in line with the Council of State resolution.
But not a few Nigerians have condemned the act, particularly on the basis that such has watered down the administration’s fight against corruption.
For instance, critics of the government say it’s wrong to pardon the former governors who stole billions from their respective states while those who stole less are meant to rot in jail.
Others have correctly slammed the administration saying the president granted the pardon to gain support for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in next year’s general election.
In his reaction, Falana a rights activist said the president should have set all convicted criminals in Nigeria’s prisons free. Pardoning the two former governors, he said is discriminatory.
Falana disclosed this at the 1st anniversary of late Afenifere spokesman, Yinka Odumakin’s Lecture and Book Presentation on Friday in Lagos.
“All petty thieves in our prisons should be released. Under Section 17 of the 1999 Constitution, there shall be equality and equal rights for all citizens,” he said.
According to him “Section 42 of the Constitution says there shall be no discrimination on the basis of class and gender, so you cannot take out a few people on the basis that they belong to a category or section of the society.
“I can assure you that if the government did not release others, I am going to call on lawyers whose clients are left in custody to come to court and challenge the discriminatory treatment on their clients.
“Just two weeks ago, a Nigerian was jailed for stealing N1,000 in Abuja; the accused pleaded with the judge that he had no food but the judge jailed him for six months.
“When we’re talking of justice and fair play, if you want to pardon some set of people, then you must also extend presidential pardon to petty thieves in the prisons.”
