No Regrets About Alamieyeseigha's Pardon -- Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said he had no regret over the state pardon he recently granted his political benefactor, former governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, despite the public outcry that trailed the exercise.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, made the President's position known while featuring on a Radio Nigeria programme, Business Hour, monitored by our correspondent in Abuja.

Abati restated the Presidency's position that the gesture granted the former governor, who was convicted of corruption, was in order as the process leading to the pardon conformed with the provisions of the nation's constitution.

He said, "The President does not regret what he has done because it is clearly within the powers of the President of Nigeria to grant pardon within the purview of Section 175 of the constitution.

"What has been done from the point of view of law is in order. But people say that they are not talking about the law, they are talking about morality.

"On that issue, I have said it before that pardon is given to persons who have been convicted. So when a man commits an offence, he goes through the legal process and he is convicted, then he is pardoned later.

"There is nowhere you grant pardon that it has not generated some level of controversy. The is always some kind of political drama around. So our own experience has not been exceptional."

While featuring on a Channels Television programme, Sunrise, earlier in the day, Abati also said despite the criticism trailing the appointment of a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari,  on the governing board of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the former lawmaker like every other Nigerian, was fit for the job.

He said although it was true that Buhari was removed from office for forgery and perjury, the former speaker apologised to his colleagues on the floor of the House and he had since been granted pardon by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said rather than for Nigerians to be criticising the President on the matter, Jonathan should be seen as "a good man" because he did not act arbitrarily.

He said, "The criticism about the appointment of governing boards for federal universities has centred on just one person, Buhari, out of about 251 people.

"People are saying that he was convicted for forgery and perjury under the Obasanjo's administration. If you recall after that conviction, he not only apologised on the floor of the House, the administration at the time subsequently granted him pardon.

"Pardon means you can no longer be punished for whatever offence you have committed. It means that your rights have been restored and you can again legitimately act for the society. The pardon says you can't be shut out of the society.

"If you have opportunity again to serve your country, of course, you can be asked to be part of the process."

Abati however said as a listening government, the administration was ready to rescind its decision on any of the appointees if genuine protest was received from either the Academic Staff Union of Universities or from the concerned university.

The presidential spokesman also faulted claims that only members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party were appointed into the governing boards of the federal universities, citing the likes of Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (retd.), Prof. Rasheed Ojikutu,  Mr. Tony Onyema, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye and others who he said were not known to be PDP members.

On government's position on the removal of fuel subsidy, Abati said Jonathan had never been specific on the time full deregulation would take place.

He said it was important for Nigerians to note that there is provision for subsidy in the 2013 budget.

Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/i-dont-regret-pardoning-alamieyeseigha-jonathan/

GEJ carry go!!!

Drunken Otutueke baboon. Twa! Shame on you!

Jonathan has always been Alam's buddy and apron. Like it or not, Jonathan would not rescind his state pardon on Alams...

Pardon or no pardon this man remains a criminal to the rest of us. Nobody will ever trust him again. He is being rewarded for his sponsorship of militants and for spearheading the rigging into office of GEJ.

Everfrank: Pardon or no pardon this man remains a criminal to the rest of us. Nobody will ever trust him again. He is being rewarded for his sponsorship of militants and for spearheading the rigging into office of GEJ.

A professional criminal!

Can someone tell this useless dog called abati to just shut the toilet he calls mouth for once.

He is not the first , even awo was granted pardon by ikemba oju

ayswags2: Can someone tell this useless dog called abati to just shut the toilet he calls mouth for once.

. When I remember my 1st one on one encouter with Dr. Reuben Abati compared to a totally different& disappointing person I can't but keep on crying. How time flies.Dr Reuben Abati always remember dat false may rule for a thousand year but truth will always suffice one day.A word they say is enough for the wise.

Well said, Mr Abati...Don't mind those crooks/hypocrites who were soliciting for amnesty for killers and enemies of the country in the north, but will criticize the presidential pardon to Alams while seeking amnesty for their boko boys. GEJ carry go!

Hmm

The govt dosnt need to justify its actions to we d citizens,they ave made it more than abundantly clear,that our opinions do not count,so they shud continue doing watever they bloody please

I wont be surprised if Mr. Alams is given a political apointment soon, because Abati seems to be justifyin the apointment of Salisu Buhari. Na today¿??. if its nt about morality why did the former house of reps member apologized to his colleages?

Is nt a big deal, criminal pardon his fellow criminal

Mr. abati you are begging the question.Nobody is saying the president does not have the right to pardon any1.Mr.Abati as bad as this pardon issue taste in the mouth.You do not need to still come and be rubbing salt on our injury.no matter all your effort in trying to justify this matter,nigerians will not accept the rape on our moral values as a nation.
We are not asking him to rescind his decision but i tell you GEJ has really gaffed on this one and this portrays him as a purveyor of corruption.

Abegi...let d looting continue but please take note that no looter will go scot-free.Some of you have made Sanni Abacha a hero because you are worse. Shameless elements !

And on Salisu buhari.Why put him in the governing council of an ivory tower.This is some1 who deceived all of us by brandishing fake educational qualifications.How will the students in this institutions view this man.We are all trying so add to try to dissuade young people from examination malpractices and here you are putting a celebrated cheat to govern a school of higher learning.What manner of transformation are you preaching Mr.GEJ.

He wuld have bin more useful if the govt endorsed him to be an anti corruption ambassador goin abt telling people hw not to be corrupt using his experiences as an example.The govt can then pay for his services.Lokk at the case of Marion Jones,Ben johnson and even more recently Lance Armstrong.Thy are all anti doping ambassadors now goin abt preaching to people how to be upright and not partake in vices of any kind tht will affect there integrity.

hubreality: Well said, Mr Abati...Don't mind those crooks/hypocrites who were soliciting for amnesty for killers and enemies of the country in the north, but will criticize the presidential pardon to Alams while seeking amnesty for their boko boys. GEJ carry go!

U seem like someone who's brain has no connection with his mouth....so u speak NONSENSE!! When 2015 is here, vote for a smart leader and not the slowpoke who grew up without shoes

amnesty for all 419ers, kidnappers and armed robbers is due. my bible tells me that thief cometh but to steal, kill and to destroy. which of these is not common with pdp and alams. they all kill, steal and destroy the system. we are all criminals and killers in nigeria and as such deserve amnesty. this amnesty of a thing shld not be restricted to any one or a any group.
pls someone shld confirm from joe the pardoner if there is any plan to give amnesty to 419ers and kidnappers so that i will know where to register.
every nigerian deserves amnesty because we have suffered.
come to think of it, can't this boko boys change their name and programme so that we can all register and go after these criminals and their families.
we can peacefully kill these few criminals who treat us like animals. can't we? after all the most powerful african was killed like a goat in libya why not here?
nigerians must come together and go after these beasts. we can do it not about talking always. we can delete them alongside their family members and take back all our wealth.

Jus came back 4rm church n I tell yu de service was superb. I love being in de presence of de Most High God. Unlike yu haters of GEJ here in nairaland, don't go n look for sometin meaningful to do wit ur life. Even on sunday yu still insult ur leader n yu expect God to answer ur prayers. Hahaha I D̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ̲̣̣̥ laff una. GEJ my prayer 4 yu is dat God will continue to give yu strenght n courage to pilot de affairs of dis gr8 nation. Amen

This is sad. A big time criminal is granted pardon, while those who stole maggi are thrown in prison indefinitely, and deprived the right of a lawyer as they have no connection to any oga at the top. Brutal killers are granted amnesty while the unemployed continue to increase in their thousands. Fuel subsidy is removed to the detriment of the mass. A country with an abundance of natural wealth, poverty stentches the air. Can we be 'proudly nigerian'?

if alams must be pardon, den I tink every other Nigeria prisoner should be pardon. GEJ has lost focus already nd he only encourage coruption by pardoning dat criminal.

Abati is as doomed n daft as his boss! Foooooooooolsssss!!!

Sure, who cares, you all can rot in that convinction! Next move please.

Oga Jona, we all know you are not gona heed to anyone in ur quest for the pardon.. #If you don't pardon him in harmettan(ur tenure), who will?

Gej is a big fools!
I'm ashamed of my country!

Hypocrites! Everywhere especially on nairaland. Can you tell me one governor, senator or president who is not as guilty as alams? Just because he was caught just like the adulterous woman in the bible. I have said it before and I will say it again: if I was in GEJ's shoes, I will do the same. He's the man that made him who he is and it's not as if he was convicted of heinous crimes like murder or terrorism. So lets stop raining abusive words on him as if he was responsible for the biafran genocide of 1967.

Why does'nt this president ever address issues by himself, why does it always have to be ruben abati or doyin okupe? Wow!! It's becoming disturbing and the lazy nigerian press is'nt challenging this regal bubble that the president has used to sheild himself.

tjskii: The govt dosnt need to justify its actions to we d citizens,they ave made it more than abundantly clear,that our opinions do not count,so they shud continue doing watever they bloody please

Your "opinions do not count" but when you protested against fuel price increase, govt reduced the price from N140 to N97. Your "opinions do not count" but when you protested against N5,000 note, the govt dropped the idea.

Even if we hate the name or person GEJ, we should be FAIR while making comments

We have heard, can we please move on?

Of course what's there to regret. because alams is not a murderous hausa fulani kanuri?