The Kogi State government has inaugurated a seven-member advisory council on the prerogative of mercy under Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Governor Ahmed Ododo, represented by the secretary to the government of Kogi State, Folashade Ayoade, inaugurated the council on Friday in Lokoja.

Mr Ododo tasked the council members with making appropriate recommendations on pardons, resports, and sentence commutations for his consideration and approval.

He said that the members were carefully selected based on their track records of service, expertise and integrity.

According to him, visits to correctional centres in Kabba and Koton-Karfe exposed cases involving inmates whose circumstances required closer attention and possible intervention.

Mr Ododo said the establishment of the council was timely, expressing confidence that members would bring their wealth of experience to bear in making appropriate recommendations for the exercise of the governor’s prerogative of mercy.

“I therefore have confidence that the carefully selected members will put their expertise together to put forward recommendations for mercy to the governor within the shortest time possible,” he said.

Mr Ododo commended the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Muiz Abdullahi, SAN, for his commitment to duty and efforts toward ensuring the effective operation of the council.

Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Abdullahi thanked Mr Ododo for approving the establishment of the Advisory Council.

He explained that the council was established under Section 212 of the Constitution, which gives the governor the power to grant pardon to any person concerned with or convicted of an offence created by any law of a state.

Mr Abdullahi, who chairs the council, assured that, with the calibre and expertise of the council’s members, the body would work diligently and expeditiously to make appropriate recommendations to the governor.

Speaking on behalf of the council, Raphael Babatunde Bello thanked the government for finding the members worthy of serving on the body.

Mr Bello assured that members would work assiduously in line with their terms of reference and submit their recommendations as quickly as possible.

Other members are retired Justice Ezekiel Haruna; Liman Salihu of the Nigerian Bar Association; Dr Barnabas Isaac, Ministry of Health; ACP Idrisu Muhammed, Nigeria Police Force; Mohammed Yusuf, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Kogi Chapter; and Babatunde Bello, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kogi Chapter.

(NAN)