Obasanjo absent as Council of State ratifies Ali, others’ pardon

Even when Ali later returned the money into government coffers, he was still convicted. Others whose pardons were ratified were Col. Moses Effiong, Major E.J Olarenwaju (for attempted coup in the Ibrahim Babangida era) and Ajayi Olusola Babalola. According to Malami, the ratification followed his presentation of a memo, relating to the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.

“The memo was presented for consultation in line with one of the constitutional requirements and consideration of grant of pardon to 45 persons: two inmates for pardon, 39 inmates for clemency and four ex-convicts for presidential pardon. “To further clarify on the prerogative of mercy, Mr. President, with COVID-19 pandemic, has directed the decongestion of our correctional centres across the country. And by way of collaborative action, the governors and heads of courts across the nation, have worked assiduously in collaboration with the presidential committee on decongestion of our correctional centres. And, at the end of the day, we have succeeded in releasing over 4,000 inmates from our correctional centres across the country. “What we have today is a consolidation of what has been done and the strategies put in place to see to the decongestion of our correctional centres.

“As you are aware, more than 70 per cent inmates in our correctional centres were awaiting trial across the country and a lot of considerations were put in place to ensure our correctional centres were decongested; the prerogative of mercy was one of such considerations by Mr. President.” Malami said the Council of State also approved the appointment of two new legal practitioners as members of the Federal Judicial Service Commission. The AGF explained that the law confers on President Buhari the right to appoint members of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, subject to consultation with the Council of State.

“The exercise, this morning relating to the presentation of the council memo, was for the purpose of fulfilling the constitutional righteousness relating to the appointment of the two new legal practitioners. In essence, it is to consult with the council of state out of desire for compliance with constitutional requirements. “The two members to represent Nigerian Bar Association on the Federal Judicial Service Commission are Namoso Ekanem (SAN), from Akwa Ibom State, representing the South South geo-political zone, and Mammud Abubakar Mogaji (SAN) from Niger State to represent the North Central geo-political zone.”

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on his part, said Council also approved the appointment of Silas Agara, as Chairman of National Population Commission. Other members of the Commission approved were: Muhammed Chuso A. Dottijo, (Sokoto); Alhaji Razaq Gidado, (Kwara); Ibrahim Mohammed, (Bauchi); Joseph Kwai Shazin, (FCT); Engineer Bala Almu Banya, (Katsina); and Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, (Lagos).

It would be recalled that the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, had denied media report that he joined forces with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, to stop the appointment of Agara as Chairman NPC. Buhari had, in two separate letters dated March 20 and August 12, 2020, nominated Agara, a former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, to head the NPC.