By Chioma Obinna
Convinced that one of the best ways to end prison congestion and quicken justice sector reform is the timely, efficacious and effective exercise of the prerogative of mercy,  the 36 state Governors and President Goodluck Jonathan have been called upon to enforce that provision of the constitution.

Former Governor of Delta State Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has also been commended for saving the lives of 90 condemned prisoners through the exercise of the powers of prerogative of mercy on October 1st 2010.

Human Rights Writers’Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, which made the call, said it was pleased with the decision of the then Governor of Delta State  Uduaghan on October 1, to save the lives of 90 condemned prisoners through what the Rights group called “his efficacious” and “wise decision” to exercise his prerogative of mercy as provided by the constitution.

The National Coordinator, of the group, Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a chat with Vanguard, said that the decision by Uduaghan was in compliance with global best practices and the international campaign by civil society groups for the abolition of Death penalty to be enforced by member nations of the United Nations.

Collaborating his view,  the national Director of Media Affairs,  Zainab Yusufof  in a statement to mark this year’s Human Right Day,  said “the world-wide vigorous advocacy for the abolition of the death penalty has paid off handsomely in Nigeria’s Delta State with a revelation that the immediate past Governor of the state,  Uduaghan had indeed saved the lives of 90 condemned inmates of some prison facilities as part of his administration’s effort to achieve rapid justice sector reforms.”

According to her, most of the beneficiaries have a languished in the prison facilities for several years unsure of when their execution would be carried out.

Commending Uduaghan, the  group said, “interestingly, Uduaghan, whose election was recently annulled by an appellate election petition panel and who is the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the forthcoming governorship re-run poll did not hesitate to approve the recommendation, thus saving the lives of 90 condemned prisoners.

For us in the Human Rights Community in Nigeria, who are in the fore front of campaign for the abolition of the Death penalty, this noble action of the then governor Emmanuel Uduaghan clearly marks him out as our Icon of Human Rights.