FORMER Chief of Staff Supreme Military Council, and brother of the late President, Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua; former Chief of General Staff, Oladipo Diya and former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha were among those granted state pardon.
The Council of State, unanimously approved the list of those pardoned yesterday.
The Council of State, which is comprised of the President, Vice President, all state governors, former Presidents, the Chief Justice of the Federation, the Senate President and Speaker, amongst others.
Others granted pardon include Major Bello Magaji (rtd), Mohammed Lima Biu, Shettima Bulama, Major Geeneral Abdulkareem Adisa (Post Humous) and Major Segun Fadipe (rtd) respectively.
On Mr. Alamieyeseigha, Mr. Jonathan will tell council members that the former governor requested a presidential pardon long ago but that he was reluctant to bring it before members because he wanted to be sure that the former governor was now contrite.
The president, our source said, would stress how important Mr. Alamieyeseigha is to the Ijaw nation and the great role he could play in maintaining peace and security in the Niger Delta region.
Mr. Jonathan will further argue that his former boss had shown remorse and that he should given opportunity to contribute his quota to the process of nation building.
Mr. Alamieyeseigha, who Mr. Jonathan recently described as his political mentor, was impeached by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in December 2005, following his arrest by the London Metropolitan Police over allegations of corruption and money laundering.
Afterwards, he was arrested and prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on money laundering and corruption offences. On July 30, 2007, M.L. Shuaibu, a judge of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, sentenced him to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the charges.
After the former governor was impeached, prosecuted and jailed in Nigeria for corruption and his assets, valued at about £17.7 million confiscated, the Federal Government went ahead to institute proceedings against him, his wife, Margaret, and two of his companies in a bid to seize his assets in the United Kingdom.
The National Council of State comprise the president, all former heads of the government of the Federation, all former Chief Justices of Nigeria, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, all the governors of the Federation and the attorney general of the federation.
The body advises the president on prerogative of mercy, awards of national honours, appointment of members of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Judicial Council and the National Population Commission and national population census issues.