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| President Goodluck Jonathan |
By Muhammad Bello
Presdent Goodluck Jonathan Sunday put to rest the
controversy between the federal and state governments over the granting of
clemency to offenders when he said governors should not withhold assent to the
freedom of any offender, whose case comes to their attention under the
constitutional provision of the prerogative of mercy.
Jonathan gave the charge at a church service held at the Aso
Villa chapel to celebrate Fathers’ Day.
He said although some governors tarry in the exercise of
this responsibility, they were, however, duty bound by constitutional
stipulation to do it as it was part of their schedules as chief executives of
their states.
He explained that although the execution of the duties of an
executive are often a mixture of pleasurable acts and difficult ones, each must
be performed whenever the need arises.
"Even governors sometimes find it difficult to sign
(the prerogative of mercy). I have been telling them that they must sign because that is the law.
"The works we are doing have a very sweet part and a
very ugly part and we must perform both. No matter how painful it is, it is
part of their responsibilities," he emphasised.
The president enjoined parents, (especially fathers) in the
country to make governance easier by instilling requisite discipline in their
wards and children.
He said apart from being dependent providers of their
family's needs, fathers were much more veritable tools of societal development
and stability if they instill discipline
and good conduct in their children.
The president insisted that fathers should not spare the rod
to spoil the child, saying the principle of reward and punishment must be
applied in proportionate measures at anytime so that the job of clemency at the
dock could be mitigated.
Recalling his childhood and the disciplinarian disposition of
his father, President Jonathan said: "When we were small, anytime we
commit an offence and we heard his voice that he was coming, we will start
crying. You will not wait to see him because you know what will happen to you.
But nowadays, he observed: "because of modern life,
discipline is almost gone."
He noted that institutions, such as the judiciary and the
executive arms of government have taken over the enforcement of discipline.
"Magistrate can just admonish and allow them (errant
children) to go. From admonition to various forms of punishments, it could be
imprisonment. The extreme is capital punishment, he said.
He, therefore, reminded
parents that: "It is important for us to let our children
constantly know that it is good to take the right path. It is good for them to
know that they must be upright.
"If we look through all the references that have been
made today with the father in the Bible, you will see that we expect a father
to show love. The father is the breadwinner of the family, to take care of the
mother and the children, to provide food for them and take care of their
education. We expect fathers to be role models where children will want to be
like their fathers.
"I want to urge all of us who are fathers to discipline
our children. No matter what you do, even if you show love and provide the
needs of the family, if you don't discipline your children, it is not good.”
In his sermon entitled: "Fathers' Responsibility",
the President of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, Rev. Soja Bewarang, cautioned
that the country will remain at inertia if pilfering of its resources by those
working with the President does not stop.
"If this country must survive, all men working under
the President must practise honesty and they must not steal. He (the President)
cannot fight corruption when you are not supporting him. He may try, but he
cannot be everywhere. You are his representatives, so you must practise honesty
and you must not steal," he said.
He asked Nigerians to pray for good fathers like Enoch;
those who will walk with God like Noah; those who will trust God like Joshua; and men of faith like
Abraham.
The special service which had Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of
Delta State as the special guest of honour was also attended by the President's
mother, Eunice; Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State; Deputy President
of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife; Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih; members of the Federal Executive
Council; new Controller-General of
Immigration, Mr. David Paradang; Commandant-General of the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr. Ade Abolurin; and members of the National
Assembly.
Others were the Ambassador of Ireland in Nigeria, Mr.
Patrick Fhearghail; the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Uriel Palti; former
House Leader, Tunde Akogun; Ndidi Elumelu; and Nollywood stars among others.
The organisers of the event under the leadership of Elumelu
presented gifts of a guitar and a mobile telephone handset to the President to
commemorate the day while other dignitaries also went home with different
gifts.
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