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President Muhammadu Buhari has granted presidential pardon to 5 top Nigerians and Amnesty to 2500+ others who has been in Prison.
On the list of the Top Nigerians includes: The Late Prof Ambrose Alli, The Late Chief Anthony Enahoro, Ex Lt. Col. Moses Effiong, Major E.J. Olanrewaju, Ajayi Olusola Babalola.
The President has also approved an Amnesty for 2,600 inmates in Custodial Centers across the federation. This presidential amnesty DOES NOT apply to inmates sentenced for terrorism, kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, human trafficking, culpable homicide and other violent offences.
The Governors of the 36 States under whose jurisdiction the inmates were incarcerated will complete the exercise in line with our federal principle.”— Minister of Interior
These [2,600 beneficiaries of the Amnesty] include 885 convicts who could not pay their fines totalling N21.4 million which pay on their behalf to enable them get their freedom This Presidential Amnesty is in line with the Administration’s goal of decongesting Nigeria’s Custodial Centers, a task now given urgency by the outbreak & continued spread of COVID19.
41 federal inmates and 29 inmates in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja who met the pardon criteria will be released today from the Kuje Custodial Centre, the minister said.
As of April 8, Nigeria has recorded a total of 276 coronavirus cases in 16 states and the FCT.
44 people have recovered and been discharged, but six people have died.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE 5 TOP NIGERIANS GRANTED PRESIDENTIAL PARDON
The Late Prof Ambrose Alli
Professor Ambrose Folorunsho Alli was the first Executive governor of {Bendel state} now split into Edo and Delta states , was born in Idoani, Ondo state, on September 22, 1929. His father hail from Emuado quarters of Ekpoma. Professor Alli had his primary school education in Ondo and Edo state.
He began his education at Mary’s catholic school, Oka-Odo, Ondo state in 1937. Between 1938 and 1939, he was a pupil at the catholic school Ekpoma.
He returned to Oka-Odo Ondo state in 1939 where he attended st. John’s {C.M.S}school until 1940.He was also a pupil of swedenbourg memorial school {SMS} Owo and st. stephen’s school Efon-Alaye both in Ondo state from 1940-1943. In 1944, he gain admission to Immaculate Conception College, Benin City and completed his secondary school education at Patrick’s college Asaba in 1948.
Other educational institutions attended by Professor Alli are the school of agriculture Ibadan {1948} and school of medical technology, Adeoyo Hospital Ibadan {1953-1960}. in 1960, he proceeded to the United Kingdom where he did a post-graduate course in neuro-pathology at the University of London He also studies at the university of Birmingham from {1971-1974}.Among his academic qualifications are the MBBS, {1960}, D path. {1965}; D.C.Path {London},{1966}, FMC. Path. {Nigeria}, 1970 MRC. Path. England} {1972} and FWACP, {1975}.
Professor Alli served as a house office at the Adeoyo hospital, Ibadan before proceeding overseas for further studies. On his return from England, he was a lecturer at the university of Ibadan from {1966-1969}. {1969-1974} he was senior lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Before his election as governor of {Bendel state} now Edo state professor Alli was for five years {1974-1979} head of the department of pathology, university of Benin, Benin City.
He was a member of the constituent assembly {1977-1978} that drafted 1978 Nigeria constitution.
Having won his governorship election on the platform of the unity party of Nigeria {UPN}. The party election manifesto promised free education at all level; free medical service, integrated rural development, and full and gainful employment. The main thrust of the four-year administration professor Alli was the liberalization of educational opportunities for all. Hence at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the {Bendel state university} now Ambrose Alli university Ekpoma name after him. Professor Alli said:
“When you educate a child, you educate a nation. When you educate the body and mind you have an effective instrument for social and economic development. Education is the platform for progress. It is the foundation of life itself”
Between October 1979 and March 1980, professor Alli’ administration established 80 new secondary school in the state in addition to 187 already in existence. Approval was also given for the establishment of 338 new secondary school in all part of the state in such a way that no pupil would thenceforth, travel more than five kilometers from his home to attend a secondary school.
By the new dispensation, some local government in the state with just six secondary school before he was elected governor in 1979 got as many as 16 additional day secondary school in two years. Bomadi Local Government Area, which had only six secondary school for the period between 1979, got nine secondary schools within two years.
Other areas, which had many educational institutions before 1979, got more secondary school to meet 100 per cent transition of pupils from primary to secondary schools. Ethiope Local Government Area for example, which had ten secondary schools before 1979, got additional 25 secondary schools´ Similary.Oredo Local Government Area which had 16 secondary Schools before 1979 had additional 40 day secondary schools. Etsako Local Government Area got additional 32 secondary schools, Ndokwa 31, Okpebho 32, Orhionmwon 43, Ovia 32, and Ughelli 39, during the first two years of Governor Alli’s administration.
The various communities, hitherto barred by government control measures from establishing their own secondary schools to supplement those of the government demonstrated their support for the leadership provided by governor Alli by building and donating blocks of classrooms to government. Therefore in less than three years, the number of secondary schools in the state rose from 187 in October 1979 to over 850 in 1983. School fees and entrance examinations to secondary schools were abolished with effect from October I, 1979. This made it possible for every pupil who had completed primary six to attend secondary school. All these were at a time when some state in Nigeria had less than 50 secondary schools charged high fees per session as in secondary schools and primary schools yet had problems with the payment of teachers’ salaries.
It must be stressed, however that the rationale for the establishment of day secondary school was the need to place pupils in the secondary schools nearest to their homes, so that while prof. Alli government make a significant cut-back on student housing provision, enough ground is created for the release of resources to develop learning facilities and programmes and for pupils to socialize simultaneously in both school and domestic environment.
The growth in the number of secondary school in the state stimulates a corresponding growth in the num of tertiary educational institutions to train teachers urgently needed for the secondary school system. Four tertiary institutions for the training of NCE teachers were established in the state. This was in addition to the college of education, Abraka, which was already in existence thus bringing the number to five.
The financial generosity of governor Alli’s administration to the course of education in the state was enormous. All students in the state’s colleges of Education were place on special bursary. Serving teachers admitted into any of the colleges, continued to receive their salaries in full while civil servants similarly admitted were placed on study leave with full pay. Other who was not in employment were given monthly allowance while in training. As govern Alli himself once remarked, this generous financial policy was to enable all those admitted into the colleges fend for their dependants and buy their books as well as essential equipment. Within three years, the first set of graduates from the four colleges of education, numbering 3,000 joined the NYSC programme.
In order to liberalise opportunities for tertiary education in the state the government of professor Alli went further to establish two new polytechnics at Ozoro and Ogwashi-Uku, in addition to the existing one at Auchi, five school of agriculture to offer OND and HND courses one school of forestry and a new university, Bendel state university now Ambrose Alli university Ekpoma, at the apex of these institutions of higher learning. “The educational programme of my government is a complete one starting from the primary level to the university level,” professor Alli once gladly recalled during the ceremonies marking the laying of the foundation stone and launching of the endowment fund for Bendel state university (Ambrose Alli University) in March 1982. The kernel of his philosophy of liberalised opportunity for the individual was embedded in the concluding part of his address on that occasion: “By the establishment of the Bendel state university {Ambrose Alli university}, we will ensure the development of intellectual capacities of individual to understand and appreciate their environment and the acquisition of both physical and intellectual skill which will enable individuals to develop into useful members of the community”. Governor Alli firmly believed that the development of intellectual capacities of individual’s capacities could promote a more reliable and enlightened public opinion, which could be used to plan for rapid social and economic development.
Professor Alli’s concept of liberalised opportunity for the individual was not confined to the educational sector alone. Services and drugs at state-owned hospital were free from October 1, 1979. More money was spent on the purchase of drug than ever before. The perennial problem of shortage of doctors, especially in the rural areas, was solved, while the hospitals recorded more patronage. In private hospitals and clinics, delivery charges high per person whereas in state-owned hospitals, all forms of medical care were free.
Furthermore, the payment of flat rate tax, which, hitherto, had been the greatest threat and source of defeat to the rural dwellers, was abolished. Flat rate tax had been used as a tool of political oppression in past civil regimes, but professor Alli abolished it to eliminate ones and for all, its use for negative ends
He travelled widely in Africa and Europe and his hobbies were reading writing and listening to music.
Death
Professor Alli passed away at LUTH on 22/09/89 his 60th birthday, before his death he was married and has four children.
The Late Chief Anthony Enahoro
Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro was a Nigerian nationalist, journalist, pro-democracy activist and politician. He is considered one of the heroes of Nigeria’s independence movement. He came into the limelight in 1944 when he was made editor of the Southern Nigerian Defender at the age of twenty one, becoming the youngest newspaper editor in the history of Nigeria.
In 1973, Enahoro was awarded an honorary doctorate in political science from the University of Benin. The federal government conferred on him the honour of Commander, Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 1982.
Early Life
Anthony Enahoro was born in Uromi in present-day Edo State on July 22, 1923 to Anastasius Okotako Enahoro and Fidelia Inibokun (née Ogbidi Okojie). He was educated at Government School, Uromi; Government School, Owo, (in Ondo State); and King’s College, Lagos. While a student at King’s College in the 1940s, he became a student leader and led several anti-colonial protests. He married Helen Imayuse Ediae – daughter of Chief J. Ediae Idahosa, the Aiwerioba of Benin – on January 10, 1954. They had five children.
Career in Journalism
In 1944 at the age of twenty-one, Anthony Enahoro met Nnamdi Azikiwe who sent him from Lagos to Ibadan to edit his newspaper, the Southern Nigerian Defender, making him Nigeria’s youngest ever newspaper editor. He was also editor of the Daily Comet from 1945 to 1949; assistant editor of the West African Pilot (based in Lagos and previously edited by Azikiwe) from 1950 to 1952; and editor-in-chief of the Morning Star (based in Sapele, Delta State) from 1950 to 1953.
As an editor, Enahoro often came into conflict with the British colonial government. In 1946, he published an exposé of British colonial misconduct in the Daily Comet which earned him nine months of imprisonment on sedition charges. He served a twelve-month sentence in 1947 for a stirring speech denouncing police violence and discrimination against Nigerian troops serving in the British army. His final incarceration by the colonial administration was in 1949 when he defied the administrations order’s and chaired a lecture for Azikiwe’s Zikist Movement.
Political Career
Anthony Enahoro joined the Action Group (AG), a newly established political party led by Obafemi Awolowo, in 1951 and was elected a member of the Federal House of Assembly in the same year. It was while a member of the House on March 31, 1953 that Enahoro moved the historic motion in favour of granting independence to Nigeria. Although it was rejected by an overwhelming majority of the northern leaders in the House, it inspired other nationalists to intensify their struggle which eventually culminated in the achievement of independence on October 1, 1960.
Enahoro was also elected a member of the Western House of Assembly in 1952 and in 1954 Obafemi Awolowo, then the Western Premier, appointed him Minister of Home Affairs. In 1955, he was conferred with the title of Adolor Uromi in recognition of his contributions to the independence movement (adolor is an Edo word which refers to a person who brings progress and development). He became the Deputy National President of the Action Group in 1958 and led a delegation of the party to the inaugural All African People’s Congress in Accra, Ghana.
A crisis erupted in the Action Group in 1962 when the leadership of the party was accused of plotting a coup against the federal government and threatened with detention. In September, Enahoro fled Nigeria for London, travelling via Accra. The Nigerian government mounted pressure on the Labour Party-controlled British Parliament to extradite Enahoro by invoking the 1881 Fugitive Offenders Act. The London authorities detained him in Brixton Prison. His case was intensely debated in parliament until Harold Macmillan, the British Prime Minister, bowed to the majority’s argument. Enahoro’s asylum request was rejected and he was extradited in March 1963. The Nigerian government sentenced him to fifteen years’ imprisonment on charges of felony and treason in September 1963. The sentence was later reduced to ten years on appeal.
He was released in 1966 by the military government of General Yakubu Gowon and in 1967, Gowon appointed him Commissioner of Information and Labour, a position he was to serve in from the period of the Nigerian Civil War until 1974. He served as Federal Commissioner for Special Duties under General Murtala Muhammed in 1975 until the latter’s assassination.
Enahoro was a member of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) from 1978 to 1983 and was the chairman of the party’s Bendel State (present day Delta and Edo states) branch from 1978 to 1980.
Later Activism
After the military coup that ousted the government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Enahoro was among the first to criticise the activities of the military. He convened the Movement for National Reformation (MNR) in 1992 when it became evident the military were not willing to relinquish power to a civilian government. He was a co-chairman and the Steering Committee Chairman of the National Democratic Coalition of Nigeria (NADECO) from 1993 to 1998. He went into exile in 1996 to escape the military’s assassination attempts, eventually returning from the US in 2000.
In 2005, Enahoro co-founded another pro-democracy movement, the Pro-National Conference Organisation (PRONACO). He was chairman of the movement from 2005 to 2007.
Death
Enahoro died on December 15, 2010 after a protracted battle with diabetes at his residence in Benin.
Ex Lt. Col. Moses Effiong
Moses Effiong was among those facing a firing squad. He among others were guilty of conspiracy to commit treason by forcefully overthrowing the federal military government.
The tribunal’s verdict can be appealed to the joint chiefs of staff whose decision is subject to ratification by the ruling military council.
Major E.J. Olanrewaju
Major General Adeniyi Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd) psc (+), ndc, M.Sc, was born on 8th May 1946 believed to be the time Harbert Macaulay died. This explains why he was nicknamed ‘Macaulay’ and that used to be Tajudeen Olanrewaju’s nickname for a long time and it was because Lagos was a very small place in terms of population and the families there in those days interconnected to one another. He was fortunate to have also been born in a place that was very known, No.3 Koilo Street, Isale Gangan, Lagos, where families lived together as a unit.
In summary, Tajudeen Olanrewaju, going by the four cardinal points of a family set up, can be said to be that he has a very great and glorious family background. From the father’s side he has the Asunmo Animashaun, which arguably is the largest family in Nigeria today and most especially in Lagos. Record shows that, as at September 2011, the Animashaun family of Lagos had almost 10,000 members and even up till today they still relate very well together and know one another. He was born to the family of late Alhaji Abdul Yakeen Olanrewaju Animashaun and late Alhaja Muyinatu Abeni Sunmola Shanu (Baba Alagbede) of Onikate Court, Isale Eko. Alhaja Muyinatu Abeni Sunmola Shanu was an Awori by birth and descendant of Ilu Obi Branch of Kuyasi – Awuse Royal dynasty of Onigbongbo. His late great grandmother, Rabiatu Ibiduni Fashina, was also a direct descendant of Princess Apotun Dosunmu: direct daughter of the late King Dosunmu of Lagos. His father, late Olanrewaju, came from the prominent Muritala Animashaun’s family of Lagos. His paternal grandmother, late Alhaja Safuratu Animashaun (Mama Saro), hailed from Adeshakin/Olubuse Ruling House of Ile-Ife. From historical perspectives, his parents were descendants of prominent Lagos and Yoruba families.
Tajudeen Olanrewaju started his primary education at Ireti Primary School, and completed it at Saint Savior Primary School, both in Lagos Island, from 1952 to 1959. He got admission into Ahmadiyya College, Agege, which happened to be the first Muslim college in Nigeria. Ahmadiyya was the college choice for most Muslim families in the country. It is one of the reasons Adeniyi Tajudeen Olanrewaju would look back to his background, his growing up during his early education and say, “I am very satisfied and fulfilled.” Tajudeen passed out successfully from Ahmadiyya College, with West African School Certificate and by the end of 1966 he had obtained his ‘A’ Level results.
After leaving Ahmadiyyah College, Olanrewaju got employment with the ECN (Electricity Corporation of Nigeria), which had gone through different reforms today. He believes that his concurrent football career playing for the ECN was responsible for why he did not proceed immediately for further studies because he was successful while playing football.
Tajudeen Olanrewaju was a brilliant footballer and played with the Nigerian Academicals that defeated Ghana’s Academicals at home and away matches. He played alongside football legends such as Tunde Disu (former Chief Coach of the Flying Eagles), Ismaila Mabo (former Coach of the Super Falcons), Muyiwa Oshode, Tony Igwe and the late Garba Okoye (Sam Garba) and Olowo Oshodi. While working in the ECN after his secondary education, Tajudeen played with the legends like Omokachie, Broadrick, Rigogo, late Paul Hamilton (former Super Eagles coach) and the late Godwin Achebe, for a while. During this period he featured in newspaper articles.
Beginning to see himself and his future in the academics and looking back to where he was coming from, however, Tajudeen decided to leave the ECN and seek for greener pasture. He therefore decided to join the Nigerian Army at a time the country was going through serious national crisis, which later led to the Civil War.
At that time he saw a newspaper advertisement for enlistment into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and he applied and completed the process for entry for the short service. The qualification for entry to the short service was West Africa School Certificate (WASC), HSE, or ‘A’ Level and already he had WASC and ‘A’ Level at the point of entry. As at that time the Nigerian Armed Forces did not have enough officers to lead to prosecute the war. So all they then did was to look for young people they could train.
General Olanrewaju belonged to the first set of Lagos indigenes selected to train in NDA just after the creation of the state in 1967. Among his colleagues from Lagos State were Brigadier General Femi Williams, Segun Joe and Williams Tunji Taiwo. There were very few senior officers of Lagos origin, who were in service before this time. In February 1968, he was commissioned into the 2nd Field Battery of the Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery and deployed immediately to the war front in Onitsha and its environs from 1968 to 1970.
Although circumstances took Olanrewaju to the Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery as a young officer just coming from the college, the corps ended up being a memorable experience in his life because, when asked, he once said he did not regret any minute that he spent in the Corps. He possibly had his reason: Tajudeen rose from the beginning as a young officer to the top as Commander of Corps of Artillery.
After the civil war, he left for further professional training at the Royal School of Artillery, Larkhill, in England. He returned later in 1971 and proceeded again to the Field Artillery School at Lawton, Oklahoma, USA. On his return, he held staff appointments of Grade 1 & 2 and was severally Commanding Officer of Artillery Regiments at various times. He further served as a Deputy Defence Adviser in the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow from 1975 to 1977.
Following the Federal Government’s decision to upgrade the professional training establishments and reduce cost of overseas training, General Olanrewaju was among the first set of Officers, who attended Army Command and Staff College from 1977 to 1978. On completion, based on merit as a Major, he was appointed the Acting Commander 3rd Division Artillery, Jos from 1978 to 1980. He left the appointment to work as a Principal Staff Officer at the Headquarters Corps of Artillery in Bonny Camp, Victoria Island Lagos. For his exemplary performance, as a student at the staff college, he was made a directing staff (teaching) at the senior level from 1983 to 1986 and awarded psc (+).
On completion of his teaching assignment, he was posted to the Nigerian Army School of Artillery, Kachia, Kaduna State, where he became the Commandant of the school. At this time, he was promoted to the rank of full Colonel. He left Kachia in 1988 and assumed the Command of 35 Air Defence Artillery Brigade in Akure, in the old Ondo State (with present Ekiti State inclusive) during which he also served as Acting Military Governor of the old Ondo State when the substantive Military Governor, then Navy Captain Olabode Ibiyinka George was on his annual leave. He was in charge of the Air Defence of the entire country. His period here witnessed the ceding of the Epe Military Cantonment (an Artillery unit located there), spearheaded by Governor Sir Michael Otedola for the Lagos State University’s engineering campus.
As a result of his competitive spirit and performance, he was selected in 1990 to attend the National Defence College, New Delhi, India established by Nehru in 1948. Its equivalent institutions are like the Royal College of Defence Studies, United Kingdom, and American Military University, in USA. This are very high professional defence institutions for the top echelon of the military, civil servants and technocrats in their respective countries.
On completion of his studies in National Defence College, he was awarded ndc insigna and M.Sc in Strategic Studies. He returned from India in 1991 and was appointed Commandant of the Corps of Artillery and School, which made him the professional head of the Artillery of the Nigerian Army. He was this time promoted to Brigadier-General. He later became the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the 3rd Armoured Division and member of the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC). He served as GOC for over two years between 1983 to 1985.
Olanrewaju was appointed Minister of Communications and member of the Federal Executive Council from 1995 to 1997. He pioneered the current de-regulation in the telecommunications sector and upgraded the communications system in different parts of the country. This brought in private telecommunication operators (PTOs) such as Multi-links, Starcomms and Intercellular. During his time as Minister, he laid the submarine optic cable from Lagos to Calabar.
While in service, General Olanrewaju served on national and international assignments. He was Chairman, States Assets Sharing Committee and also Chairman of the Review Committee which prepared the White Paper on General Abisoye’s report on the NNPC. He was up to a time a permanent member of the Nigerian team, led by the late General HB Haladu, on the Co-operating D-8 Islamic Countries based in Turkey. These were considered as Extra-Regiment duties outside the Military Establishment.
His military career was not without its challenges. The greatest one occurred in 1997, when he was arrested over the phantom coup along with other senior military officers and was sentenced to death. But Allah in His infinite mercies caused a change in government in 1999 and used the Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, to release him and others after 14 months of incarceration. This granted him a new lease of life which he has dedicated to serving the down trodden and humanity, in appreciation of God’s goodness to him.
General Tajudeen Olanrewaju served the Nigerian Army brilliantly and meritoriously for 30 years (1967 to 1977) and is now in private business. He has received numerous awards in the course of his service, which include Merit Award of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Ibile Forum Golden Award and Security Efforts Award during the 30 years commemoration of Lagos State in 1997.
General Olanrewaju is married to Oluyemisi and is blessed with children and grandchildren. He remains one of the most distinguished professional soldiers that Lagos State has ever produced.
Ajayi Olusola Babalola
We are still searching for his Biography……..
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