The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the presidential pardon granted to a former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Chibi Dariye and Jolly Nyame.
Newsonline reports that former senator of Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, also slammed the Federal government on its plan to increase call and data rates in 2023.
While Nyame, an ex-convict, a former governor of Taraba State was sentenced to 12 years in jail for diverting N1.64 billion during his tenure as governor of Taraba, Dariye, an ex-convict, a former governor of Plateau was sentenced to 10 years in prison for N1.126 billion fraud.
The two ex-convicts were released less than four months after they were granted state pardon by the National Council of State (NCS). The two former governors were among 159 convicts pardoned by the NCS led by President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2022.
Speaking on their release on Monday from the Correctional Centers, SERAP, argued that the two former governors convicted for looting public finances should be allowed to serve their jail terms for the sake of justice and accountability.
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SERAP said, “We urge President Buhari to immediately withdraw presidential pardon for Dariye and Nyame — ex-governors jailed for grand corruption, and released today — so that they can serve their prison terms, for the sake of justice and accountability.
While lamenting the increasing economic challenges facing ordinary citizens, Senator Sani, stated that the President Buhari administration has exhausted every opportunity of borrowing from global financial institutions and has resulted in taxing Nigerians in all ways.
Sani said the Federal government at first taxed the carbonated drinks, not being satisfied is planning of taxing call and data rates.
Sani stated, “They increased the tax on carbonated drinks and now targeting data and calls. They have activated the taxing mode after exhausting borrowing.”
recall that Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Ahmed Zainab, had said the Federal government will implement its new tax rates on calls and data usage in 2023.
According to Zainab, the move would help to increase Federal government revenue.
