Opinion
Media Watch Group finally reacts to Buhari’s pardon to Nyame, Dariye
Muhammadu Buhari
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria has condemned in strong terms the state pardon given to two Former State Governors in Nigeria i.e. Mr. Joshua Dariye of Plateau State and Rev. Jolly Nyame of Taraba State.
Reacting to the freedom from prisons of the convicted Former Governors, the Group described the State pardon given to them as a sign of failure of the anti-corruption crusade of Buhari Administration and a bad precedence ever set by any Administration on anti- corruption fight in Nigeria.
In a strongly-worded Press Statement signed and released by a Leading member of the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria on behalf of the Group by Sheikh Abu Sheriff, the Group stated that by the Federal Government decision, the anti-corruption fight of this Administration has crumbled and corruption has been endorsed as being part of governing process.
The Group stated further that with this action of the FG, it would amount to injustice to keep in our Correctional Centres all those who have been jailed for corruption and serving various jail terms but who are not Former Governors. The fact that these citizens are not elites and political heavy-weights does not mean that they should be kept in prisons all over the Country…the Group maintained.
MMWG stated that by this singular action of Buhari Administration, corruption has been legalised and bad precedence that would encourage corruption has been set. The Group said: No wonder that bad governance pervades all the 36 states in Nigeria except Borno State where Professor Umara Zulum remains tall as the ‘Best Governor ‘ for his outstanding performance.
The Group opined that past and present Governors in Nigeria today believe that there would not be any consequence for their economic crimes against the masses while in office and after they have left, that is why they commit economic crimes while in office.. Now that they have been released unconditionally without completing their jail terms, them’coast is clear for the looting spree to continue’, the Group said.
The bandwagon effect this if terrible and unfortunate action of Buhari Administration on this matter the Group maintained, is that Justices of the Nation’s Judiciary would be demoralised as their due judicial processes meant to curb crimes especially corruption are been quashed through political consideration. Equally, the Anti- Corruption Agencies like ICPC and EFCC would no longer pursue cases of corruption and other economic crimes with much seriousness as they would fear political intervention of this nature, the Group stated.
Nigeria’s position in the ‘Committee of Nations’ is gradually descending fastly into anti-peoples governance in which the ruling class past and present are now ‘sacred cows’; while the poor people are purnished even for offences they have not committed, MMWG maintained.
The repercussions of this bad decision include the slowing down of actions on corruption cases by Security Agencies in terms of arrest and prosecution of offenders of economic crimes, a situation that would increase the agony of suffering masses as criminal activities can never be abated in such a circumstance.
The Group therefore call on President Muhammadu Buhari to rescind the decision on state pardon given to Rev. Jolly Nyame and Mr. Joshua Dariye and let them complete their jail terms before being considered for any State pardon. Afterall, the Group said, they are not political prisoners but convicts serving different jail terms for criminal and economic crimes.
It is a wrong step to grant pardon to those convicted of economic crimes involving billions of Naira of taxpayers money; such action would give opportunity to others to commit similar crimes, the Group maintained.
MMWG concluded in its Press Statement of today that by stating that those who initiated and supported the unpopular state pardon for the convicted Former Governors are enemies of the Country.
FG/ASUU IMBROGOLIO
On the FG/ASUU Imbrogolio, the Group stated that unfulfilled promises of FG since 2009 is the main cause of dispute between the two giants.
It called on ASUU to reflect on its dialogue with the FG since 2016 which has not yielded the expected gains. It said the bandwagon effects of ASUU incessant strikes and COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to downward slope in the higher education sector in Nigeria
In this regard, the MMWG appealed strongly to ASUU to reconsider it’s current stand in the interest of the Nation and call-off its strike action.
By our understanding the Group said, the Federal Government is not ready to shift its ground inspite of the fact that innocent children, Parents and Guardians are the ones bearing the brunt of the strike action and the Nation is having the negative impacts of it. The only solution the Group said is to appeal to ASUU for suspension of its strike indefinitely as a show of patriotism.
The Group called on the Academic Communities in the Nigerian Federal Universities to prevail on the National ASUU Leaderdhip to ignore the intransigence of the Federal Government on the matter, but consider urgently the resumption of academic activities by suspension or total call-off of the strike, as this Administration appears too insensitive to the plight of children and Parents suffering as a result of the strike.
In conclusion, MMWG enjoined ASUU in the spirit of patriotism, not to embark of any strike action again until after May 29th next year as a matter of sacrifice for this great Nation; adding that their patience and sacrifice would not be in vain but rewarded in 2023.
Signed
SHEIKH ABU SHERIFF
Leading Member of the
Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG)
16th Ramadan, 1443 AH
17th April, 2022 CE
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