A former President of the Trade Union of Nigeria, Mr. Peter Esele, on Monday expressed his delight on the posthumous pardon granted to two prominent Edo citizens by the Federal Government.
On April 9, President Muhammadu Buhari granted pardons to a former Governor of old Bendel State, Prof. Ambrose Alli and a former leading nationalist, Chief Anthony Enahoro.
Both were jailed decades ago by the Federal Government for various offences.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, Esele said that the presidential pardon had closed a sad chapter in the lives of Alli and Enahoro.
According to the unionist, with the presidential pardon, the toga of ex-convict on Alli and Enahoro have been removed permanently.
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Esele said the pardon had cast Buhari as “a leader with humane heart who believes in one Nigeria and who appreciates and rewards Nigerians, who in anyway have contributed to the advancement of the country, whether they are alive or dead.
“This posthumous pardon to a great son of Esan land in Edo State in particular and Nigeria in general has gone a long way to rekindle our faith in a better Nigeria.
“I also want to commend Gov. Godwin Obaseki and every other Edo citizen, who ensured that this great desire of the generality of Edo citizens and Esan people in particular was achieved,’’ the APC stalwart said.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, had told a news conference in Abuja on April 9 that Buhari had pardoned Alli, Enahoro and two others.
Aregbesola explained that the presidential pardon to Alli and the others meant that they were never convicted in the first instance.
The minister said the pardon was based on compassion.
Alli left office in 1983, retiring to his country home at Emaudo in Ekpoma in present day Esan West Local Government Area of Edo.
The former governor was later sentenced to 100 years imprisonment by a military tribunal for allegedly misappropriating N983, 000 meant for a road project.
Enahoro, who was a known activist, dating back to his early days, was said to have had issues from time to time with government, resulting to his imprisonment. (NAN)