Governors must sign death warrants – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said state governors are compelled by law to sign death warrants, not minding how painful such an exercise could be. The President spoke at this year’s Father’s Day service at Aso Villa, Abuja. But he said that jail terms or capital punishment could be avoided if fathers play their role very well by enforcing discipline in their children. He said: “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. “These days, because of modern life, discipline is almost gone. Discipline can be in various forms. In the states, it could be admonition. Magistrates can just admonish and allow offenders to go. From admonition to various forms of punishments, it could be imprisonment. The extreme is capital punishment. “If in the case of capital punishment, the state governors will sign. Even governors sometimes find it difficult to sign. I have been telling the governors that they must sign (death warrant), because that is the law. The work 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.” According to him, parents need to enforce discipline so that their children would turn out to be good citizens and avoid social vices. “For us as parents, it is important 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,” he said. Jonathan noted that apart from providing for the needs of the family, the father is expected to be a role model for the children. “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,” he added. The President of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, Rev. Soja Bewarang, in his sermon entitled “Fathers’ Responsibility”, said if Nigeria must move forward; those working with the President must refrain from stealing public funds and must be honest. “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. Bewarang identified three examples of Biblical fathers that Nigeria does not need. These, he said include those who pitched their tents towards Sodom like Lot; those who do not refrain their children like Eli and those who steal are deceptive and dishonest like Achan. The cleric admonished Nigerians to pray for good fathers like Enoch; those who will walk with God like Noah; those who will feat and trust God like Joshua; and men of faith like Abraham. Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State was special guest of honour at the service which 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, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih; members of the Federal Executive Council; the new Controller-General of Immigration, Mr. David Paradang; Commandant- General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ade Abolurin and members of the National Assembly.