He said his administration embarks on the Constitutional exercise to give hope to the hopeless and decongest the state Prisons .
Speaking shortly after the excercise at Nnewi Prisons, the governor who was represented by Justice Mrs. IKEM Onwumegbu stressed that the Constitution gives state governor leave to grant state pardon to longest serving inmates who had not been convicted in any court,, inmates charged with capital offences but have stayed beyond 150 days without being tried in court, are liable to bail condition as well as granted state pardon to prisoners who had been discharged but not able to meet the bail conditions.
The 13 inmates who had serviced varying degree of jail terms were consider for state pardon, including 2 minors, a mother and son along other five inmates whose bail condition were expressly granted .
The team of Justices who represented the state chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi took turns to check the inmates files before arriving at the Constitutional decision of granting state amnesty to the freed inmates .
She regretted delays on the part of the state department for public prosecution on negligence and unprofessional handling of inmates files, charged all actors in the dispensation of justice system to ensure mattes are treated according to the state criminal adjudication system.
She states that if due diligence and professionalism is employed, it would aid speedy dispensation of justice and inmates would be discharged without undue delay, adding that the nation Prisons too would be decongested on time .
Correspondent reports that the excercise commenced on Tuesday at Onitsha Prisons where 25 inmates were granted state pardon while Awka and Aguata Prisons would have the state Governors visit in the course of the week.
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