Don’t Pardon Political Thugs, Electoral Offenders, Umahi Urged

A non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, Ebonyi Center for Justice and Social Development has appealed to Governor David Umahi to avoid granting pardon to political thugs, electoral offenders and others who perpetrated various crimes during the just-concluded general election in the state.

The group in a statement signed by its state coordinator, Mr. Lambeth Nnoli, which was made available to LEADERSHIP Friday, said there have been concerns over alleged plans to granted pardon to some political thugs arrested, arraigned and remanded at the correctional center during and after the elections.

Nnoli said, “Our organisation has received information that there are plans to grant pardon to political thugs who attacked innocent voters and were arrested by security agencies during the just concluded general election in the state.

“We plead with the Governor David Umahi not to fall to the pressure of granting Pardon to those who do not deserve it. Anyone who carried out an attack on innocent voters and members of the different political parties and were arrested must be made to face the full wrath of the law.

“There must not be sacred cows in the discharge of punishment to electoral Offenders. The prerogative of mercy must not be politically motivated. The deserving inmates must be granted the pardon and not those who carried out attacks on innocent persons in the name of working for a political party.

“The process must be transparent and the people should know those that are being granted pardon.

The group’s plea came against the backdrop of the commissioner for information and state orientation Barr Uchenna Orji disclosure that there was an application by certain members of the public requesting for a state pardon for certain convicts in the state.

Orji said the application was presented by the chairman of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Chief Barr Cletus Ofoke, during the State Executive Council meeting held recently adding that 20 out of 28 applicants have been granted State Pardon.

Orji said that the considerations were on grounds that peace had been made between the families of the victims and the convicts, ill health, where there was no case of premeditated intention and where there were possibilities of proper integration into the society upon manifest remorse.

The commissioner said that the exco acknowledged the requests made and the considerations sought in the 28 applications.