Sections of Taraba residents on Friday celebrated the release of former Governor Jolly Nyame from Kuje prison.

Mr Nyame, 66, was governor of Taraba from 1999 to 2007. He was serving a 12-year jail term for financial malfeasance and abuse of office until he was on Thursday pardoned by the National Council of State.

The National Council of State also pardoned former Plateau governor, Joshua Dariye, and 157 others on Thursday.

Those who spoke on the pardon of Mr Nyame said he was a man of the people.

Joseph Kunini, Speaker of Taraba House of Assembly, commended the decision to pardon the former governor.

“Former Governor Nyame is a worthy son of the state with vast knowledge that will benefit the people,’’ he said.

Ibrahim Imam, a former Commissioner for Youths and Sports, equally commended the decision of the Council to grant pardon to the former governor.

While congratulating Mr Nyame on the freedom granted him, Mr Imam called on the former governor to use his wealth of experience to help the state tackle its challenges.

“I join other well-meaning Taraba people in celebrating the release of former Governor Jolly Nyame.

“You will observe that the people of the state are in a happy mood since Thursday when the news came that he had been granted freedom,’’ he said.

Gladys Iliya, a politician said she and many people of the state were waiting to receive Mr Nyame whenever he arrived in the state.

“We are eagerly waiting for the arrival of our worthy son, Nyame to the state so that we will show him that we still love him in spite of what has happened to him,” Mrs Iliya said.

David Kente, the governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in the state, said the entire Taraba was happy at the freedom of the former governor.

(NAN)