El Abdul Reterdeen Odechukwu Oponushilewo is just a dumb assss.

But sha, GEJ fvcked up on this one. Alams is a well known thief.

It is appalling to note that you guys don't know the difference between clemency and pardon. Sahara reporters the shop rite of lies Una on come again!

Billyonaire: If Generals Diya And Adisa were pardoned as you stated, why wouldnt Alams be pardoned too ? After all coupists like IBB and Buhari are walking free!

A coupist might turn out to be a positive force for change. Murtala and Rawlins demonstrated that
A thief as a force for good!

Nigerians have never applauded stealing, but they have often welcomed some coups.
Buhari's coup was welcomed by a lot of Nigerians
The type of rigging that brought in Yaradua/Jonathan in 2007 was a coup by another means. It can be admiited (Yaradua did) and be pardoned/tolerated
No thief has been tolerated. Ask Bode George

Unless part of oga GEJ's transformation agenda is to turn Nigeria where we are now more tolerant of looting and stealing

BTW. When are we going to beg Britian to help pardon Ibori and yes, Timpre Syla too.
At least we now know that GEJ does not abhor stealing. Just be in the right camp

maclatunji: Watching Doyin Okupe defending the pardon on NTA. Waiting for the excuse to be given tomorrow for this rubbish.

I think it will be the turn of Abati to do the defence, as he's not said anything since then, probably gathering his (mis)facts.

Do you bother to ask yourself why Diya was often referred to as Mr. Oladipo Diya as agains Lt. Gen Oladipo Diya. if we can answer this, then I think the issue of clemency and pardon will be resolved without much ado.

As for sahara reporters, its obvious they trive in misinformation [/quote]

Right bro, the same way they misinformed us about Patience' sickness? I wonder who actually misinforms us in this nation.

All these arguments about clemence fighting pardon is all cos Jonathan is a bad author of a new dictionary in Nigeria's politics. To an ordinary well informed mind in Nigeria ,taye is the same as taiwo is. Westherhof himself know that since he has decided to be 'clement' he can do change of name to 'pardon' 13 years later. Clemence today, pardon tomm ... all na ojoro!

If you are in support of the pardon given to Alams then with people like you Nigeria can never move forward, it will always be 1 step forwad and 10 steps backward. we are suppose to be weeping for the ignoble act of Jonathan and his cabinet.

Opera Mini:

Do you bother to ask yourself why Diya was often referred to as Mr. Oladipo Diya as agains Lt. Gen Oladipo Diya. if we can answer this, then I think the issue of clemency and pardon will be resolved without much ado.

As for sahara reporters, its obvious they trive in misinformation

Right bro, the same way they misinformed us about Patience' sickness? I wonder who actually misinforms us in this nation.

mbhs139: But there is something I'm not getting here, are there people in this country who sees nothing wrong this very act of their president?

In fact, they see nothing wrong in any of his actions. To them, he is blameless.

bidell1: Its either most of the the dudes here have selective amnesia or werent born in 1999. How can anyone say or claim that Diya was pardoned by Abdusalami?

For the records?

[i]General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s brief regime only gave Obasanjo presidential pardon due to the political necessity that he would become Nigeria’s next president.Having served the country for over thirty years, (Rtd) General Oladipo Diya was a member of the first set of officers trained at the Nigerian Defence Academy. Diya’s career as a military officer appeared paved with gold as he kept on climbing till he became the Chief of General Staff, the military equivalent of Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was at this point that everything came crashing from palace to prison, from a position of power to that of powerlessness until Abdulsalami Abubakar’s government only directed that the Generals be released from prison. This directive was, however, silent on whether they were pardoned or if their privileges were restored as was done to him (Obasanjo) by Abdulsalami Abubakar.

So they were not pardoned and because GEJ want to pardon a treasury looter he inserted thier names?
You see how sharp our presido's brain works na wa !

My guess is that Jonathan is involved in the money laundering with Alams, and Alams may have threatened to expose him unless he pardons him.
Its a pity that we have GEJ as president.

Jona simply has nothing to offer, he is only wasting time and causing more problem

What a pity Mr. GEJ, you have shown again that you were a mistake from the onset and that you have no plans on trying to reform this country. You have taken wanton cluelessness and mediocrity to high heavens. What hope for this country. However i don't blame you but i can only blame those poor Nigerians who were fooled into believing you were the messiah. I feel so sad that i was right from the beginning that you were going to be a failure and i still stand to be proven otherwise.
Where is the fresh air you promised, where is the transformation agenda. I am appalled by your brazen desire to destroy this country and leave no hope for those who believed and trusted you.
It is how ever not too late to redeem yourself. All you need do is get rid of all the wrong people in your govt and sit down and reflect on where you are coming from and how you can really transform this country and set it on the part to greatness. With the way you are going right now there is no other outcome than utter destruction and i will want to implore your officials, sycophants and ethnic jingoist who are destroying you by the day through there inability to tell you the truth but give you a false sense of security, that they shuld desist from this acts and you should realise that you have your integrity to protect and when you fall you will fall alone and all those charlatans you surround yourself with will leave you to reel in your own mess.
please pray to God to grant you wisdom and beg Nigerians for forgiveness.

Policewoman: Isn't it about time nairaland begins censoring d use of d derogatory word "retardeen" to describe our president? Or is it because he is not from a particular tribe?

You are very Stewpid. She-goat.

vanunu: na mistake, nobody or group is above it. Please make una pardon Odechukwu.

this is unpardonable,for a president.

idirect: How on earth can any government pardon two people for a crime that they had already been pardoned for 13 years earlier? This man has proved to be the greatest eediot yet to rule this country

Positiveminds:

You just proved how empty your head is. If Diya and a few others were granted pardon under previous administration but was not effected does annul the power of government to implement it?

What is government implementing ? U must b a learner. Clown

FG that doesn't keep or follow the record

The presidency should add comedy to their official role functions.

I beg, "Clement" me and "Pardon" me if you do not agree with the statement above, but please it shouldn't be 14 years apart so as to avoid another round of confusion.

It is amazing dat sm persons are still arguing that CLEMENCY is same as PARDON, ff d well scriptd deceit of an article by SR. Any person with d minutest idea of d Law wud know d diff bw d two....dis is witout prejudice to d fact dat d Pardon grantd Alams was d wrong move though

Maxymilliano: From a bigger brother,

Femi Fani-Kayode

BETWEEN A PRESIDENTIAL PARDON AND CLEMENCY-

There is a distinction between a "pardon" and"clemency". Clemency sometimes includes a"pardon" because its a general term but sometimes it doesn't.

What Generals Diya, Olanrewaju, Adisa and others were granted in 1999 was clemency and not a pardon. It is now up to the Presidency to tell us whether the clemency that was given to these gentlemen in 1999 included a pardon or did not include a pardon.

If it did then they have no business granting another pardon for the same people 13 years later. If it did not then they have every right to do so.

This is my position.

End of discussion!

Here is a different interpretation from a practicing lawyer as opposed to the one you quoted up there, who easily succumbs to conjecture.

...Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), said both pardon and clemency conveyed the same meaning under the Nigerian constitution.

"When they are granted clemency, it is mercy by the state; it is the remission of their offence. They (government) have wiped out their offences and that means they never committed any offence," he told THISDAY last night.

He explained that Section 161 of the 1979 Constitution, amended by Constitution (Suspension and Modification) Decree of 1993 under which Abubakar exercised his powers is the same as Section 175 of the extant 1999 Constitution, which confers on the president the powers to grant a pardon.

Relating this to the pardon granted Yar'Adua, Diya and Adisa on Tuesday, Falana said: "The implication of what has happened is that the government did not take into consideration this legal instrument that was issued in March 1999."

In his opinion, the trio had effectively been granted a state pardon twice, first by the military regime headed by Abubakar, and now the Council of State.

In other words, amended Section 161 of the 1979 constitution offers the same provision in law as Section 175 of the 1999 constitution.

[b]175. (1) The President may -

(a) grant any person concerned with or convicted of any offence created by an Act of the National Assembly a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions;

(b) grant to any person a respite, either for an indefinite or for a specified period, of the execution of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence;

(c) substitute a less severe form of punishment for any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; or

(d) remit the whole or any part of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence or of any penalty or forfeiture otherwise due to the State on account of such an offence.

(2) The powers of the President under subsection (1) of this section shall be exercised by him after consultation with the Council of State.

(3) The President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Council of State, may exercise his powers under subsection (1) of this section in relation to persons concerned with offences against the army, naval or air-force law or convicted or sentenced by a court-martial.[/b]

mbhs139:

See, I don't really think GEJ is clueless or retard as we think. I think he's fraudulently smart. And that's the only people who seems to be making it in Nigeria

You are absolutely correct, Jona is smart fraudstar disguise under clueless nature

Thats double blessings and every body's prayer.

9ja nd deir ways of corruption, dEy av plannd wt dEy wnt 2 do already dey ar jes deceivn demselves nt mi,4gten dt we ar using a written constitution, in which everytyn happenin in our country is documentd smh 4 dem

idirect: How on earth can any government pardon two people for a crime that they had already been pardoned for 13 years earlier? This man has proved to be the greatest eediot yet to rule this country

Guy, i strongly agree with U jooooo...

sentiments apart, Odechuwku did the right for his ex-boss, the river that forget its source shall dry up.

initiate: What of Tajudeen Olanrewaju? Was he not ropen in with Diya and Adisa?

Tajudeen Olanrewaju was also pardoned along with Diya and Adisa in 1999 by Abdulsalami Abubakar

Upright750: But my question is that .. why have these people remained in the prison till date after they has been pardoned 13 years ago . where is those lawyers and so called human right lawyers since then ? why have they not let public knew that these people still in the prison after pardon . For me the past presidents hands are not clean and that is the reason why they don't want to allow these men go after pardon .. the real truth is yet to review .

Na wa for you o. They are not in prison they've been released since Abdusalami took over in 1998. even some of them are no more alive today like Adisa and Tajudeen. Diya and others are still living and they are free from any crime. so they are not in prison.

Sorry.... I'm just not getting it at all.
What is everybody so upset about?

I thought that Presidential Pardons were for pardoning CROOKS?

Are they saying that it would only be okay for the President to pardon GOOD guys

MAYOWAAK: OUR DISTURBED PRESIDENT: I understand from a reliable source that President Jonathan is seriously considering closing down his facebook page. Why? In the last 24 hours, I was told by my source that Mr President is very disturbed about the insults and curses that people were hauling at him on his facebook wall. Should he close it down?

him never start