Of Presidential Pardons And Matters Arising

When the quality broke that President Bola Tinubu had granted a posthumous pardon to Herbert Macaulay and Major General Mamman Vatsa, the reactions were mixed. Some hailed it arsenic an enactment of statesmanship and reconciliation. Others dismissed it arsenic different symbolic motion that adds thing to the regular realities of Nigerians struggling to provender themselves. Both camps person a point, but let’s beryllium honest—most Nigerians don’t suffer slumber implicit authorities pardons. What they attraction astir is the terms of garri, not who gets forgiven by Aso Rock.

Still, this peculiar pardon deserves attention. Not due to the fact that of the ceremony, but due to the fact that of what it says astir however we dainty past and justness successful this country. Vatsa’s lawsuit was 1 of those acheronian chapters that galore Nigerians implicit 40 inactive remember. He was a soldier, poet, and by astir accounts, 1 of the much refined officers of his time. Yet successful 1986, nether General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, helium was accused of plotting a coup and executed aft what galore called a kangaroo trial. Even then, galore believed helium was a scapegoat, a unfortunate of palace authorities wrong the subject hierarchy. His decease was swift, brutal, and inactive arguable astir 4 decades later.

By granting him a posthumous pardon, Tinubu is not rewriting history—he’s acknowledging that past whitethorn person been written successful atrocious faith. But here’s wherever I pause: of what usage is simply a pardon to a dormant man? It mightiness easiness the conscience of a authorities that killed 1 of its own, but it does thing for his widow, who inactive bears the pain, oregon his children, who grew up fatherless. Nigeria has a wont of apologising aft the harm is done.

Herbert Macaulay’s lawsuit is adjacent much curious. The British jailed him successful 1913 implicit allegations of fiscal mismanagement portion moving arsenic a surveyor successful Lagos. That condemnation haunted his grounds adjacent though helium aboriginal became 1 of the founders of modern Nigerian nationalism. The antheral died successful 1946. Almost eighty years later, a Nigerian president forgives him for a colonial-era conviction.

Of course, gestures similar this are not new. Every president finds a mode to usage the prerogative of mercy to polish his representation oregon settee aged scores. President Olusegun Obasanjo utilized it to escaped governmental prisoners. President Goodluck Jonathan utilized it to pardon his erstwhile boss, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the Bayelsa politician who erstwhile fled London disguised arsenic a woman. President Muhammadu Buhari utilized it connected immoderate convicts successful 2022 to people Democracy Day. Now Tinubu has joined the club.

But this latest batch is rather expensive. Apart from Vatsa and Macaulay, the President besides pardoned Farouk Lawan, the erstwhile House of Representatives subordinate jailed for demanding a bribe during the substance subsidy scandal; Mrs Anastasia Nwaobia, a retired Permanent Secretary; Hussaini Umar, a lawyer; and Ayinla Alanamu. All these were radical convicted of corruption. According to the government, they person shown remorse and merit reintegration into society. I wonderment what that means to the mean captive rotting successful Kirikiri for stealing a phone.

Farouk Lawan’s name, for instance, inactive brings backmost bitter memories of the 2012 subsidy probe wherever helium was caught connected portion collecting $500,000 from Femi Otedola. It took astir a decennary earlier helium was convicted. We look to tally a strategy wherever repentance begins erstwhile a politician’s situation mattress feels uncomfortable.

To beryllium clear, each president has the law powerfulness to pardon whoever helium wishes. But it loses meaning erstwhile that powerfulness becomes a governmental instrumentality alternatively than a motivation one. Clemency should not beryllium a reward for influence. It should beryllium a designation of genuine reform. How bash you explicate to Nigerians that the aforesaid state that commuted the sentences of 82 inmates and reduced the jailhouse presumption of 65 others inactive keeps thousands awaiting proceedings for years due to the fact that they can’t spend lawyers?

And past there’s the affectional angle—Tinubu besides pardoned the Ogoni Nine, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, who were executed successful 1995 by the Abacha regime. That 1 struck a nerve. For years, the Niger Delta radical person demanded a nationalist apology for what they spot arsenic judicial murder. Saro-Wiwa’s conflict against biology degradation by lipid companies made him an planetary awesome of resistance. His hanging by the authorities was 1 of the lowest points successful our history.

It’s bully that the President besides gave nationalist honours to the Ogoni Four who were killed earlier. But here’s my question: what’s adjacent aft the property releases and the photograph ops? The Niger Delta is inactive choking nether pollution. Ogoniland inactive has blackened rivers and poisoned farmlands. The cleanup promised since 2016 has been moving slower than a snail connected valium.

On 1 hand, you tin accidental the President is promoting nationalist healing. That’s fair. Nigeria is afloat of aged wo...