Fashola Sets Up Council On Prerogative Of Mercy

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Monday inaugurated the state’s Advisory Council for the Prerogative of Mercy.

The governor identified the objectives of the state’s justice system to include reform and, as much as possible, rehabilitate back into society those who transgress the laws of the state after serving due punishment.

In his remarks before swearing in members of the council headed by the state’s Attorney-General, Mr. Adeola Ipaiye, Governor Fashola described the state’s justice system as “one of the vehicles through which law and order is enforced in the state” adding that its primary objective is to catch transgressors of the state’s laws.

Stating the terms of reference of the council, Governor Fashola urged the seven-member council to familiarise themselves with the newly passed criminal law of the state to enable them make informed recommendations to the governor on the issue of prisoners deserving of mercy.

Governor Fashola, particularly, drew the attention of members to the provision in the new criminal law which now makes parole part of the institutional body of criminal justice in the state, adding that the council should base its recommendations on such parameters as the tenure that has been served by the convict and his or her general conduct while serving the sentence.

“I will urge you to familiarise yourselves with the newly passed Criminal Law in Lagos State. You will observe now that parole is part of the institutional body of Criminal Justice in Lagos State and wherever you think it necessary, having regard to the nature of the offence, the tenure that has been served by the convict and his or her conduct while serving, it will be open to you to make such recommendations”, the governor said.

According to him, “It will enable us to take advice from you whether, in your opinion, the prisoner has fully reformed, whether he is penitent and what the process could be to rehabilitate and return such a prisoner back into the society to continue his regular and normal life as much as possible.”

Noting that the new criminal law now contains provision for non-custodian sentence, Governor Fashola declared: “This means that community services are part of the punishment regime that we have in the law and they may, in my view and subject to advice from the Attorney-General, also be open to you to recommend to us that after serving the custodian sentence, the prisoner became of good behaviour and is probably recommended for non-custodian sentence.”

“All of these will have regard to the nature of offence for which the prisoner was convicted and whether returning the person back to society will, in anyway, constitute any danger to the society”, the Governor said adding, “I will also like to recommend that you avail yourselves the benefit of the crime data that the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Justice, has developed”.

He explained further, “We have instituted a Crime Data process that allows us now to keep accurate data, including photographs, of every person who has had an engagement with the criminal justice system of Lagos State, whether persons who are awaiting trial or have been convicted in that it helps you to monitor the progress in terms of time the prisoner was arrested right up to the time sentence is passed”.

Expressing the importance of the Council to the office of the Governor, Governor Fashola declared, “The Council is of Immense benefit to me to exercise the powers conferred upon me in the Constitution to give clemency to those convicted and discharging justice according to the law”.

Thanking members of the Council for accepting the invitation to serve, Governor Fashola who noted the equality in gender, Faith and ethnicity in the composition of the Council, said, “This speaks to the multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-gender nature of our State”, adding, “This is where everybody in this country proudly calls home”.

Earlier, while introducing members of the Council, its Chairman and Attorney-General of the State, Mr. Ade Ipaiye, said the inauguration of the Council was a Constitutional provision granting the Governor the power to grant clemency to convicted persons on the advice of the Council.

Other members of the Council include, Chief Kole Abayomi (SAN), a former Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Rev, (Dr) Mercy Ezekiel, Co-Pastor of the Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM), Mr. Isa Mohammed Buhari, Mr. Jimoh Olasukanmi Tijani, Dr. Regina Clement Akpan, Deputy Comptroller of Prisons in the Welfare Department of the State’s Prison Command and Mrs. Tolani Edu Adeola, a lawyer.

Also present at the occasion were the Deputy Governor, Hon. (Mrs.) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Chief of Staff, Mr. Lanre Babalola, Head of Service, Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe, Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba and his Home Affairs and Culture counterpart Mr. Oyinlomo Danmole and Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Ganiyu Johnson among other members of the State Executive Council and top government functionaries.