Articles and Opinion
13
Mar
Where Jonathan's Presidential Pardon Came From
Where Jonathan's Presidential Pardon Came From
Presidential pardons are used all over the world and have their basis in Matthew 6: 12 “and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” The principle is also found in the Qur’an which says “But if you pardon and exonerate and forgive, Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Qur’an, 64: 14]. The principle is that just as it is in the Bible and the Qur’an, where God promises not to remember our sins when we seek forgiveness and are pardoned, Presidential pardons have the effect of treating a conviction as though it never happened. It removes the stigma and restores the convict to normal life. The pardon is a prerogative of a grantor.
In Nigeria, there have been several Presidential pardons of which the most well known include the Presidential pardons President Shehu Shagari granted to General Yakubu Gowon for his role in the coup that led to the death of General Murtala Mohammed and Col. Chukuwemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu for his role in the Nigerian Civil War. Also, General Abdulsalami Abubakar granted a pardon to General Olusegun Obasanjo for his convictions for treason by the administration of his successor, General Sani Abacha. Add a comment
13
Mar
Editorial: Black Smoke = Nope, White Smoke = Pope
Editorial: Black Smoke = Nope, White Smoke = Pope
It is no longer news that the conclave now voting in the Sistine Cathedral have yet to come up with a new pope, but as voting continues NaijaPundit can not so soon forget the comments from Pope Emeritus, Benedict XIII.
It may be recalled that on an interview on CNN, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, said as follows;
“I am certain a Pope will come from the new continents, but whether it would be now I have my doubts, in Europe we have many very able people and the Africans are still not so well known and maybe do not have the experience yet, I believe in later years Popes will come from different countries, different parts of the world, at the moment I believe the Pope should be European” Add a comment
09
Mar
A MISPLACED CALL FOR AMNESTY
A MISPLACED CALL FOR AMNESTY
The call on the Federal Government by the Sultan of Sokoto to grant Boko Haram amnesty is misplaced and ill-conceived. I am in total agreement with the position adopted by CAN and Mr President on this issue and I am relieved that the call has been rejected.
The suggestion that a group of people that have slaughtered 4000 Nigerians in cold blood in the space of 2 years should be granted amnesty is completely untenable and unacceptable. It is also dangerous and counter-productive. This is all the more so when the group has no face and has refused to identify itself or its leaders and when it has not entered into a ceasefire or laid down it's arms. Add a comment
31
Dec
Buhari and Decree No.4,1984
Buhari and Decree No.4,1984
Life and Issues with Tunde Thompson
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In his interview by Eric Osagie and Paulinus Aidoghie published in the Saturday Sun as a cover story on December 22, the former Head of State now chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, made some comments on Decree No. 4 of 1984 on which one can neither be indifferent nor silent. Although the earlier focus had been on the three drug pedlars executed by the government, the little that the general said about the decree conveyed a totally different impression about the law, which warrants a response in the interest of historical accuracy and the truth.
After seemingly rejecting the idea that the decree was used by his government to gag the Press, Buhari suggested that the Press brought the “Nigerian factor” into the decree. In his own words: “….when people try to get job or contract and they couldn’t get it, they make a quick research and created a problem for people who refuse to do them the favour. What we did was that you must not embarrass those civil servants. If you have got evidence that somebody was corrupt, the courts were there.
Add a comment10
Dec
Joy Comes In The Morning
Joy Comes In The Morning
Today our nation stands at a crossroad and it is left for us to decide which path we choose to take. Do we take the path of despair and dishonour and give up on our country? Or do we rise above it all and latch on to the promises of God for our land and for our people? With biting poverty, mounting hopelessness, a bleeding economy, youth restiveness, unprecedented violence, brazen acts of terror and all manner of vices and evil thriving in the land one wonders how things got so bad. The foundation for our current situation was laid many years ago and since that time we have seen so much suffering and failure at virtually all levels. We were plagued with leaders who lacked vision, who lacked intellect, who lacked sincerity of purpose and who were antagonistic to those that dared to challenge their visionless and purposeless policies. Our country is currently bedevilled with so much negativity that it is easy to look around and just give up. Yet I say that we must never give up because ''hope springs eternal''. The bible says though the night may be dark yet ''joy comes in the morning''. The wise ones say you cannot have a message without a mess. You cannot have a testimony without a test. You cannot get to the top of the mountain without first going to the bottom of the valley. This is true. And out of Nigeria's ''mess'' shall surely come her ''message''. Out of Nigeria's ''test'' shall surely come her ''testimony''. We have been to the ''bottom of the valley'' and therefore we shall get to the ''top of the mountain''. Our dream for a better Nigeria shall never die and neither can our collective prayers be in vain. I refuse to give up because I know that the God that I serve never fails. He alone rules in the affiars of men. He alone forges the destiny of nations. Out of a deep void and formlessness He ordered the creation of the world. He established it by the power of His word and He gave us dominion over it. Add a comment
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