By Olasunkanmi Akoni
A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Lagos State and House of Representatives aspirant for Alimosho Federal Constituency, Alhaji Mohammed Mufutau Lawal, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to consider the interest of national unity and reconciliation in  pardoning Col. Hamza Al-Mustapha and others by releasing them from detention.
He said that if his predecessor, the late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, a Northerner, could give amnesty to militants who are economic saboteurs, Jonathan should in the same way reciprocate by releasing Mustapha from detention.

Lawal,who stated this at a media briefing yesterday, added that if the likes of Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, Gen. Oladipo Diya who were alleged to have committed treasonable felony were pardoned by the state,why should Mustapha and co be not be pardoned by the state?

His words: “Yar’Adua, a northerner in the interest of of national unity,reconciliation gave amnesty to the militants in the Niger Delta who are more or less saboteurs of economic lifeline of the nation. Yar’Adua overlooked them and gave them amnesty. President Jonathan should wipe the tears of the northerners by at least extending the amnesty and quashing the charges against Mustapha and co.

At least Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu and Gen. Oladipo Diya were pardoned and charges of treasonable felony against then dropped.Mustapha and co too deserve this kind of arrangement too.

On his ambition,Lawal said he is gunning for the House of Representatives,Alimosho Federal Constituency to make the constituency relevant in the country,saying that over the years their representatives did little or nothing for the area.

“My intention of coming in is to change the face of Alimosho which has been underdeveloped for so many years. I have been waiting for this opportunity to serve my people for the past three to four years now. With the kind of relationship I have with the people, being a son of the area and the support of my party, I will win the race”, Lawal said

He continued further that “there is stalled development in Alimosho and there are no good roads,hospitals,schools among others. Structural declaration of emergency should be declared in the area.

Alimosho is the biggest in Lagos State and we cannot afford not to be heard and we cannot allowed to be shortchanged. Alimosho is a mini Nigeria,a local government that determines the outcome of any major election in the state cannot be joke with.