#NigeriaAt58: el-Rufai Approves Release Of 19 Prisoners

Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has approved the release of 19 prisoners, and further commuted the life sentences of three others to five years’ imprisonment.

Speaking on the occasion of the 58th Independence Anniversary parade in Kaduna, El-Rufai, said the death sentence on two convicts have also been commuted to life imprisonment.

The governor urged Nigerians to apply energy and intellect into finding and implementing solutions that promote equal opportunity for the people, saying leaders must deliver quality education, decent healthcare and supports investments and provide jobs.

El-rufai said: “Permit me to begin by congratulating all Nigerians on this 58th anniversary of our country’s independence from colonial rule. On this independence anniversary, it is my pleasure to salute the good people of Kaduna State.

“Through the stresses and tensions that buffet young countries, we have persevered. Nigeria is not yet where our founding fathers dreamt it should be, but that it is not to say that there has been no progress. The fact that we have the liberty to rule ourselves and to make our own choices means that it is up to us to make a more committed effort for progress and development”

“On this occasion, I pay tribute to the founding fathers and the generation that struggled for independence. They made sacrifices to remove the colonial yoke and to birth a new dawn. As leaders of an emergent, multi-ethnic country, they faced challenges and had their successes and mistakes. It is the duty of this generation to take up the mantle and advance the work of nation-building and development”

“This task of developing our country and expanding opportunity for our people require an atmosphere of harmony.

The governor said: “To be so fixated as we are on religion and ethnicity, focusing on how people worship or where they are from, rather than their ability, is a self-indulgent luxury that we cannot afford. There is an urgency to establish a meritocracy, a society that rewards talent and initiative, promotes social mobility and gives everyone an equal chance to develop their potentials and seize opportunities. We cannot avoid this task, so the sooner we ignored distractions and get back to what matters, the better for us all.

“Across our country, there is clear evidence that the path of division and violence is a dead-end, yielding only pain and loss” the governor said.

“On this occasion of commemorating our independence, we have extended various degrees of amnesty to 24 convicted persons.

“Based on the powers granted by Section 212 of the Constitution, I have accepted the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy. Most beneficiaries of this amnesty are long-term convicts that have served at least 10 years of their sentence or convicts with less than six months to complete their sentences.” The governor explained.