Pardon Sunday Igboho, Kanu, Elzakzaky – Group urges Tinubu
Wants CBN gov arraigned
Yinka ADETUNJI
The Save the Poor and Needy Charity Initiative (SPANCI) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria to be guided by the rule of law as he begins his administration.
The human rights organization further urges that the trio of Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a. Sunday Igboho, Nnamdi Kanu and Ibraheem Elzakzaky, who are among others being held for various offences be granted state pardon.
The group in a press release signed by its president Comrade (Dr) Bello Yemi Ezekiel titled, “Way forward and requests from Mr. President,” and made available to ogbomosoinsightonline.com congratulating Tinubu who was sworn-in Monday by the Chief Justice of the Federation Oluwakayode Ariwoola, stated, “We advocate presidential pardon for Ibraheem Elzakzaky, Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a. Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu who has won in Supreme Court but still held by the DSS and others held in various custodies. This will give our Igbo brothers trust and hope in this new administration and prove it believes in the rule of law and pure democracy.”
Contrarily, it advocated the withdrawal of the national honour bestowed on Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on the eve of the expiration of the outgone administration, calling on his arrest and arraignment for alleged crimes against Nigerians.
“We shall also be happy if the national honour given to the CBN governor Godwin Emefiele is withdrawn immediately and we recommend that he be arraigned in court of law for criminal misappropriation and putting millions of Nigerians in hardship during no cash policy which killed many, put many on life threatening sicknesses and destroyed many businesses which affected the nation’s economy adversely.”
SPANCI also charged the new administration to create jobs, support farmers and improve healthcare and initiate massive infrastructural development, adding, “Nigerians have gone through hardship, terrorism, kidnapping, killings, insurgencies etc. Therefore, we in this organization shall be happy Mr. President, Senator Bola Tinubu if this your administration can bring succour to the people of Nigeria, most especially the poor and needy, the vulnerables and less-privileged.
“We appeal that this administration will look into the high cost and difficulty of getting driver’s licence and international passport which some bad elements in the issuance offices created.
“We advocate for the review of the worker’s salary, gratuity and pensions.
“We demand for our security and law enforcement agencies good living and needed weapons and ammunition to do their work better and safely to reduce crime rate, terrorism and insurgencies.”
Convinced the nation will only develop if the new administration rests on the plank of rule of law the human rights group states, “We want your administration to make it important what is in section 14 of the 1999 constitution as amended of our dear nation, which says: 14. (1) The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a state based on the principles of democracy and social justice.
“(2) It is hereby, accordingly, declared that: (a) sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through this constitution derives all its powers and authority;
“(b) the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government: and
“(c) the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this constitution.
“(3) The composition of the government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few state or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies.
“(4) The composition of the government of a state, a local government council, or any of the agencies of such government or council, and the conduct of the affairs of the government or council or such agencies shall be carried out in such manner as to recognise the diversity of the people within its area of authority and the need to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty among all the people of the federation.”
It now urged Nigerians to be patient with the administration in view of the many inherited problems in the face of scarce resources noting the immediate past government “deliberately created problems for the incoming government by borrowing huge money, destroying the economy andpmaking dying minutes appointments hence this administration will first fight battles.”
