By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
Ebonyi State government under the watch of Governor David Umahi has approved a state pardon for 20 convicts within the State Custodial and Correctional facilities before the end of the present administration.
The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr. Uchenna Orji, Wednesday, made this known during a press release on the outcome of the State Executive Council (Exco) meeting held Tuesday in Abakaliki.
According to him, a report on the applications by certain members of the public requesting a State Pardon for certain convicts in the State was presented to Exco by the Chairman of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Barr. Cletus Ofoke.
He said the considerations were because peace had been made between the families of the victims and the convicts' ill health, where there was no case of premeditated intention and where there were possibilities of proper integration into society upon manifest remorse.
The Exco, in Orji's words, noted the requests made and the considerations sought in the 28 applications made.
He added: "Exco also noted the painstaking consultations made by the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy and the discretional powers of the Governor under the Council of Mercy Law (Cap. 8) Vol. 1, Laws of the Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009 and the imperative of section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and approved the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy that a total of 20 out of 28 applicants be granted a State pardon by the Governor of Ebonyi State"
Earlier, the Commissioner disclosed that the exco received a report on the State Development Plan from 2023 to 2047 presented by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) State 2 State.
The plan according to him, aims at empowering the State to attain a higher level of economic growth and development by 2047.
He explained: "It is founded on strategic plan pillars with the people as vocal agenda for the State's development. The thematic areas covered are economic development, infrastructural development and social welfare, sustained environment, rural, housing and urban development, and governance plans from 2023 to 2047.
"Exco noted the thematic areas covered by the report and the set goal which is to ensure fiscal transparency and to improve the Ease of Doing Business, tax transparency and revenue generation in the State, and approved that the report be adopted as a working document.
"Exco further directed that the office of the Head of Service, DR. Rita-Mary Okoro should review the report and make appropriate recommendations for consideration in the next Exco meeting. It is expected that the report of the draft development plan will be passed for implementation after the foreword is endorsed by His Excellency the Governor."
Orji equally announced that the Exco noted the report presented to it by the Secretary to the State Government and Coordinating Commissioner, Dr Ugbala Kenneth Igwe on auctioning of unserviceable vehicles and approved that the State Procurement Council should advertise and dispose of the unserviceable vehicles in line with the provisions of the Law.
"It was further directed that all monies realized from the auction be paid straight to the State Internally Generated Revenue Account (IGR)," he asserted.
