Nyame and Dariye Pardon: Release Other Prisoners Jailed For Stealing, Related Offences, Citizens Have Equal Rights, Falana Tells Buhari
Femi Falana, a Nigerian Senior Advocate, has suggested that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration should release all inmates who have been imprisoned for stealing and associated offenses.
He said this while appearing as a guest lecturer at an event commemorating the one-year anniversary of the late Yinka Odumakin’s death and the founding of the Yinka Odumakin Foundation, which was hosted at the Sheraton Lagos Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos state.
Recall that the Council of States on Thursday awarded a state pardon to Rev Jollly Nyame, who was imprisoned for corruption after his term as Governor of Taraba State expired in 2007.
Falana emphasized that citizens are entitled to equal rights and opportunities, as stated in Section 17 of the 1999 constitution, and that the state pardon should be given to all prisoners serving time for stealing.
When it comes to the country’s restructuring, Falana says the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be referred to as Decree 24 on 1999 because it was not properly signed.
He went on to say that the Constitution should be viewed as a fake decree, noting that it is a legal document rather than a legitimate one.
“The National Assembly has proceeded to modify the illegality,” he said.
“The so-called 1999 constitution is actually Decree 24 of 1999,” says the author. The scam is that you will not see the signature of the man who signed the bill when you look at the so-called constitution.
“When you see a law, you’ll notice the name of the person who signed it next to the date.
“General Abdulsalam Abubakar promulgated Decree 24 of 1999 on the 5th of May 1999, however you will not find his name or the date on which he signed the paper today.” In every material detail, it is a forged document.
“The decree was imposed on us by the last set of military dictators in Nigeria, led by Gen. Abubakar, and because that document is okay for members of the ruling class, regardless of their political parties, ethnic regional or religious inclinations, they can’t do anything about it, including all those we are campaigning for today to be President.”
“They merely want to keep the status quo and tweak it here and there,” says one candidate running on the ruling party’s platform. “Those who are running on the ruling party’s platform say we’re going to maintain the Buhari administration’s program that has plunged our country into chaos.”
“Nigeria has become a huge joke in the committee of nations, so any group of individuals saying they want to package this rickety vehicle and start panel beating it isn’t going to get it moving.”
“Continuity of catastrophe, injustice, insecurity, and corruption can only mean disaster, injustice, insecurity, and corruption.”
“Right now, they’re apologizing to themselves.” The same man who said he came to combat corruption has been pardoning those who have been found guilty of stealing billions of Naira.
“All thieves and other offenders in our jails, in my opinion, should be freed.”
“Number 17 of their constitution states that all citizens have equal rights, and section 42 states that there shall be no discrimination on the basis of class, gender, or anything else, so you can’t just pick away two individuals and leave the rest.” The government has been banned, in particular, from bestowing benefits on any group of individuals at the expense of others in the same category.
“If the government does not free others, I will advise lawyers whose clients are likely to be imprisoned to take their cases to court and contest the discriminating treatment they are receiving, since what is good for the goose is good for the gander.”
“If you wish to pardon your pals, you must also extend the presidential pardon to all thieves, since if the major thieves are being asked to go away, we must also extend it to the minor thieves imprisoned for stealing spaghetti and noodles to sustain themselves.”
“If we are still converting decrees to Acts, the members of the National Assembly have shown no willingness to study the constitution in order to restore the country’s federal status.”
He asked state governments to form legal panels to fight the federal government on matters that impact the efficient operation of their business, which the federal government has assumed control over.
Mr. Falana, on the other hand, believes that the best homage to Yinka Odumakin is to continue the fight for horizontal and vertical restructuring so that powers devolved from the center can be democratically exercised by the people.
Yinka Odumakin was a Nigerian politician and human rights campaigner. He was the national publicity secretary of Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, until his death in April 2021.
