The Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Festus Keyamo, has come under heavy criticism from Nigerians following the Presidential pardon granted to Senator Joshua Dariye and Rev Jolly Nyame by President Muhammadu Buhari.
You would recall that the National Council of State only recently endorsed the pardon of Dariye, Nyame, and 157 other convicts following the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
With the development, Reno Omokri refered Keyamo to his 2015 tweet when as a human rights activist/lawyer he faulted former President Goodluck Jonathan for pardoning convicted ex-Bayelsa State governor, Diepriye Alamieyeseigha.
Keyamo had tweeted in 2015 saying: “To GEJites: Give us 1 Good reason why pardon was granted to a convicted thief (Alams) when we are even looking for more ex-govs to send to jail.”
Keyamo had also issued a statement lashing out at Goodluck Jonathan’s administration for being insincere to the country’s war against corruption.
His statement read “It is shocking, confusing, and disheartening that at a time when the general mood of the country indicates that the war against corruption is insincere, slow and a sham, the President deems it fit to even rubbish the very little work that has been done by the anti-corruption agencies in securing the conviction of these individuals.
“It is also disturbing that at a time when Nigeria is still ranking very low in the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International the President has further damaged the image of the country by this singular act,”
Reno Omokri, consequently accused Keyamo of speaking from both sides of his mouth in his tweet that stated: “Today, the same Festus Keyamo, @fkeyamo, is defending the pardon Buhari gave to former Governors Dariye and Nyame, who were convicted of stealing billions. Just give them time, they will all expose themselves. May God deliver Nigerians from men without principles.”
Nigerians reacted further accusing Keyamo of being a fraud.
I keep saying it that something is fundamentally wrong with @fkeyamo smh.
— Moses G (@CHARISMA411) April 16, 2022
The once vocal and outspoken lawyer has since his political appointment in this Buhari reign become so silent and near irrelevant.
— 🕊️ (@itzgbenga_) April 16, 2022
A good name is better than silver……
I have given up on that comrade SAN a long time ago! Chop I Chop SAN, just because food our comrade song has changed.
— @ BA (@aja_engr) April 17, 2022
How men change when they attain a small position of power is quite baffling.See Keyamo of yesterday justifying the indefensible.
— Sunny Onuoha (@SunnyOnuoha8) April 17, 2022