THE WILL
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has been sworn in for the second term in office, as the fifth civilian governor of the state.
The Chief Judge of the State, Hon Justice Mosumola Dipeolu, administered the oath of allegiance and office to him at the M.K.O Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta.
Abiodun used the occasion to announce the release of 49 prison inmates and three condemned prisoners on medical and long imprisonment terms.
“The Constitution of Nigeria allows me to exercise a prerogative to pardon anybody connected to or convicted of an offence in Ogun State. Thus, having received guidance from the Council set up to advise me on this prerogative, I have signed the appropriate warrant ordering the immediate release of 49 convicts currently imprisoned in different correctional facilities across Ogun State.
“I have also signed a warrant ordering that the death sentences imposed on three death row convicts be immediately converted to prison sentences. The convicts, who have received this gesture today, are inmates who have served long prison sentences with some having been in prison for more than 20 years. At least two of these convicts have serious medical conditions such as tuberculosis and HIV, which even render them a health hazard to the prison community.
“Three of these convicts are over 60 years old, with one being 84 years old. Others already have less than two years of their sentences to serve anyway. All of these convicts have shown remorse for their crimes, they have acquired skills and certifications in prison, and they have demonstrated verified good conduct during their imprisonment.
“The Ogun State of our dreams is not only for one class of persons. It is not for the perfect. It is an inclusive State that gives opportunities to the law-abiding, and second chances to deserving offenders. If we spend considerable time, effort, and resources in supporting correctional facilities, then we must believe in their capacity to correct, and be willing to reabsorb, reintegrate, and utilise those that these facilities have corrected. While we are not softening our stance on crime”, he stated…
