The Emeritus Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Bishop Sunday Ola Makinde, has expressed concern over the pardon given to former governors, Joshua Dariye, Jolly Nyame, and others.
He also urged the Federal Government to extend the pardon given to the politicians to other Nigerians in prison.
Bishop Makinde, who spoke in an interview with Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, said it would have been better if the government had released Dariye and Nyame on a plea bargain arrangement so that the nation’s anti-corruption agencies would not feel demoralised in the pursuit of their duties to the nation.
He said, “If they (government) did what you call a plea bargain, and they ask them to bring part of the money stolen, if they had taken part of the money from them, or they have seized part of their properties, then freedom is important. But what is done to selected people must be done to others.”
The cleric defended the Christian Association of Nigeria for not challenging the decision to pardon them at the level of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee before its presentation to the Council of State for approval by the President.
Makinde said although some objections might have been raised at the committee, the decision would have been made based on the position of the majority of the members of the committee.
“Yes, CAN is there (in the committee), but a tree does not make a forest; they have to vote and the majority carries the vote,” he said.
The cleric added that mercy should be made available to all, because “all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God.”
He added that such prerogative of mercy should have been broad instead of being selective, and therefore urged the Federal Government to extend mercy to common criminals.
“Let them extend it to others, so that the EFCC and all our anti-corruption agencies would not to be seen to have failed.
“Why not extend the pardon to other poor people. You know that some people who stole N2m, N3m are in prison now and nobody looks at them, because they have no name.
“Those who stole goats and chicken are languishing in jail, there should be prerogative of mercy, because we are all sinners and if God should mark iniquity, nobody would stand, but it should not be for ‘big people’ alone, the poor people should enjoy it and they are many who have shown remorse.
“God extends mercy to all of us. So, the government must make it general, not selective,” the cleric said.
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