Former Governor of Taraba State, Rev. Jolly Nyame has said that the lessons he learnt while he was an inmate at the Kuje Correctional Centre have made him a better person.
Nyame was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 14 years in prison by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the FCT High Court in 2018.
However, the Supreme Court reduced the sentence to 12 years in 2020.
In April 2022, the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari pardoned the former Taraba governor.
Nyame was pardoned alongside a former Plateau governor, Joshua Dariye, on grounds of age and ill-health.
Nyame, who marked his 68th birthday on Christmas Day, spoke about his prison experience at a Thanksgiving service that took place at the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) secretariat in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital.
Nyame, who was Taraba’s governor from 1999 to 200, said that he learnt a lot of lessons in prison that would make him a better leader.
“I learnt a lot while in Kuje prison and in the hospital. If given another opportunity to lead the people of Taraba State, I will do better because of the experience I have gained,” Vanguard quoted him as saying.
He maintained that his imprisonment was politically-motivated.
The former governor emphasised the significance of faith and resilience, advising leaders to stand strong in the face of challenges.
He further urged Nigerians to be prudent in their expenses and called on the government to prioritise the wellbeing of the citizenry.