The Federal Government has granted post humous pardon to the Late Chief Anthony Enahoro, the late Prof. Ambrose Alli, , Lt. Col. Moses Effiong, Major E.J. Olanrewaju and Ajayi Babalola. However, the rationale behind the pardon, the timing and significance have become subjects of discussion among Nigerians, most especially considering the fact that the duo of Chief Enahoro and Prof. Alli had been granted pardon before now. In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke says that rather than disturbing the souls of the departed, Government should emulate their deeds to ensure good governance. Excerpts :
Are you comfortable with the pardon granted the late Chief Anthony Enahoro Prof. Ambrose Alli ?
Let us first of all start with the issue of meting out punishment to erring citizens, pardoning such offenders by another Government in power and subsequently paying the expected benefits, the question is how effective has this been in restructuring and correcting the ills of the society ? Considering the fact that this has always been the case after returning such glory to the pardoned offenders. Starting from the last question , it has always been of no effect to the nation and in correcting the psyche of the people to enthrone sanity in the community and nation at large. The wisest of such victims in the annals of history of Nigeria, is the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who realized the implication of having a bad past on record, came up with the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa panel. After this targeted exercise, the nation cannot say we benefited from the outcome of Justice Oputa panel, whereas South Africa successfully executed the project of Justice and Truth Reconciliation to put apartheid aside as being permanently dead.
Prof. Ambrose Alli’s trial by the Special Military Tribunal on treason and other offenses on the strength of a decree enacted by Gen. Obasanjo in 1976, sentenced Prof. Alli to 100 years imprisonment under the Gen. Muhammadu Buhari military regime, for allegedly misappropriating n983,000 for a road project. Then after, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion paid N1 million for his release, which resulted in his been pardoned. The youth would feel embarrassed for this type of conviction, when one views his academic and professional records as a Professor of Morbid Anatomy and a dynamic Governor of the old Bendel state in the second Republic-1978–1983.
Comparing the President’s sensitivity then to what today’s youth would consider as flimsy, with the inability of the present democratic governance of almost 21 years in place ,to identify and fix emergency billionaires through corrupt and self enrichment syndrome, one would easily assess and evaluate Government’s revisit of Prof. Alli’s case to be belated as an unnecessary second pardon, but for political reasons the President might have been misled to include his name, considering the late Professor’s transformational style of governance The expectation is that we should allow such an individual to rest in perfect peace, rather than been an object of political propaganda. The best we can do is for the present crop of state Governors to emulate and revisit his style of governance for possible adoption by all state Governors for the transformation of their states, to their peoples’ expectations.
In the case of Chief Anthony Enahoro, he was a foremost nationalist, who moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence, but was tired for treasonable felony based on the 1962 crisis in the old Western region. However, he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but the sentence was reduced on appeal. It is a matter of regret that his pedigree in journalism and politics as well as his intimidating credentials were never considered in the scheme of building a new Nigeria of democratic principles and disposition . He started his concern for Nigeria at the age of 21, while Prof. Alli started at the age of 19. Prof. Alli died at the age of 60, while God spared the life of Chief Enahoro to pursue the cause of democracy until December, 2010, when he passed on at the age of 87. Despite his efforts, Nigeria never considered to study his Philosophy of governance, his dream for Nigeria, but the Government found it comfortable to announce his death and celebrate his demise. Chief Enahoro was a true Nigerian, who never needed any second pardon from anybody. May the soul of our Father of Democracy and Father of Nigeria rest in perfect peace.
Lt. Col Moses Effiong was among the 13 officers convicted and killed by firing squad for plotting a coup against the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
Nigeria needs to realize that our major problems fundamentally emanated from our experience in colonialism, neo-colonialism and the so called 29 years of military rule with harrowing experiences of coups and counter coups, in addition to the fratricidal war. Nigeria is yet to recover from the polarization effects of all these.
It is equally sad to observe that the intentions of coup plotters are almost at par with the intentions of political power seekers-appointed or elected. If we do not work seriously on these lines of failure, we may not necessarily realize our yearnings for good governance, unity of purpose, justice, equity, peace, security and sustainable development which can only make a nation to be virile and great.
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