Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has joined some Nigerians who spoke against President Muhammadu Buhari for granting a presidential pardon to former governors, Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame. He described the action as an egg squashed against Nigerian faces that shall not be forgotten or wiped off in a hurry.
It will be recalled that Dariye and Nyame were jailed for stealing N1.16 billion and N1.6 billion, respectively during their tenure as governor.
However, the National Council of State last week endorsed the pardon of Dariye, Nyame and 157 others serving jail terms following the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy as approved by President Buhari.
In the same vein, , a human rights organization, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, had last weekend, urged Buhari to urgently review and withdraw the pardon granted to former governors who are serving jail terms for corruption.
SERAP urged Buhari to propose constitutional amendment to the National Assembly to reform the provisions on the exercise of the prerogative of mercy to make the provisions more transparent, and consistent and compatible with Nigeria’s international anti-corruption obligations.
SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said that Impunity for corruption will continue as long as influential politicians escape justice for their crimes and the constitutional power of prerogative of mercy ought not to be an instrument of impunity.
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