SGF Inaugurates Presidential Panel on Prerogative of Mercy
The federal government yester-day inaugurated the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prero-gative of Mercy.
The inauguration was done by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, in the SGF conference hall.
He was represented at the brief ceremony by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who is the chairman of the committee.
He said “The significance of an occasion like this goes beyond the ceremony itself; it gives a signal for the members so inaugurated to brace up with the responsibility embedded in the assignment.
“The committee is a four year tenured committee constituted to assist President in the discharge of his constitutional responsibility of not only granting pardon to deserving prisoners and ex-convicts and reintegrating them into the society but also to work towards decongesting the prisons nationwide.”
According to him, the inauguration of the committee will go a long way to reduce the congestions in the prisons.
Stressing that the responsibility of the committee is sensitive and enormous, he said the purpose for its constitution and its guiding principles must be completely adhered to.
He said the terms of reference of the committee are statutory and constitutional as they are enshrined in Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution.
“The inauguration today enables you to kick start the processes leading to nationwide prison visits and consequent recommendation of eligible ex-convicts and convicts for presidential pardon.” he stated
While making an opening remark, a member of the committee and Permanent Secretary in the Special Duties office, Williams Alo, recalled that the President reconstituted the committee on the 19th of June, 2018.
Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution on Prerogative of mercy reads “(1) The President may (a) grant any person concerned with or convicted of any offence created by an Act of the National Assembly a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions; (b) grant to any person a respite, either for an indefinite or for a specified period, of the execution of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; (c) substitute a less severe form of punishment for any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; or (d) remit the whole or any part of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence or of any penalty or forfeiture otherwise due to the State on account of such an offence.
“(2) The powers of the President under subsection (1) of this section shall be exercised by him after consultation with the Council of State. (3) The President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Council of State, may exercise his powers under subsection (1) of this section in relation to persons concerned with offences against the army, naval or air-force law or convicted or sentenced by a court-martial.” it stated.
The 12-man committee included Abubakar Malami (Chairman), Williams Alo, Lucy Ajayi, Joshua Abu, John Idoko, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, representative of the Nigerian Prisons Service, representative of the National Human Rights Commission.
