BY Ayodele Oluwafemi
Jolly Nyame, former governor of Taraba, over the weekend, was welcomed by a crowd on his return to Taraba after he was granted state pardon.
In April, at a council of state meeting which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, 159 inmates — including Nyame and Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau — were pardoned.
The two former governors, who were jailed for fraud, were granted pardon on the grounds of age and ill health.
Nyame was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for diverting public funds to the tune of N1.64 billion.
But his sentence was later reduced to 12 years in 2020, following a ruling by the supreme court which affirmed the judgment of the court of appeal on the matter.
The council of state’s decision drew criticism, with many Nigerians describing it as a setback to the fight against corruption, but the presidency had defended the decision.
In August, Nyame was released from the correctional facility in Kuje council area, federal capital territory (FCT).
Over the weekend, the former Taraba governor was received at the Danbaba Danfulani Suntai airport in Jalingo, the Taraba capital, amid cheers from a crowd.
From the airport to the Jolly Nyame stadium, lined up along the road to welcome the former Taraba governor.
There was also a welcome reception which took place at the Jolly Nyame stadium in Jalingo.
Speaking at the event, the former governor expressed his appreciation to Buhari and the council of state for granting him the pardon.
“I hold no grudges against anybody. I have forgiven all those that were behind my incineration. All I know is that God used them for a purpose. I’m better off now than before,” he added.
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