The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami SAN, has rekindled the hope of over 320 convicts and ex-convicts to be granted clemency or pardon by officially reconvening the meeting of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM).
Malami, who chairs the committee’s meeting held on Tuesday 28th September 2021 at the Hage’s Conference Room of the Federal Ministry of Justice Abuja, declared the commencement of the parley following the dire need to decongest the various correctional centres nationwide and across the six geo-political zones of the federation.
The need arise, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the danger congestion of custodial centre poses.
It would be recalled that the committee constituted to make President Muhammadu Buhari, discharge his constitutional role of granting clemency and pardon as afforded in section 175 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) flawlessly and seamlessly on June 19 2018, having submitted its report has for a while been on recess.
Malami notes that the committee’s previous report yielded result, as the Council of State’s meeting held on Thursday 27th of August 2020 ratified and validated Presidential Clemency and pardon granted to some beneficiaries as published in two National Daillies.
He reiterated the expediency for the committee to reconvene, given the fact that Office of the Attorney General and the Committee’s Secretariat had respectively received myriads of requests for the grant of Presidential Pardon and Clemency, up to 320 applications.
In his words,”I can assure you that Mr.President has much confidence on your abilities and is expectant of the outcome of your deliberations. Mr. President is committed to the ongoing Justice Sector Reforms and the mandate of this committee touches strongly on the ongoing efforts to decongest the Correctional Centres Nationwide within the scope and ambit of law”.
He urged the committee on the second phase of its assigned responsibility, to critically and objectively consider the applications and advise as appropriate in the interest of the public and in the interest of Justice.
Other dignitaries who also played key roles in the matters of the committee includes; Mr. Boss Mustapha Secretary to Federal Government, Senator George Akume. Hon minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs and Chief Mrs. Lucy Omosefe Ajayi one of the eminent Nigerians on the PACPM list of members.