His Excellency,
President Goodluck E. Jonathan
Aso Rock Villa,
Abuja.
Nigeria
Dear President,
Sir, I am mindful of the productive use your Excellency could have put the few minutes used in reading this letter, and I appreciate the time. However, I know no other man who has the personality or power to grant my Appeal.
We were over twenty classmates with over twenty Nigerian Dreams. One of us from that beautiful Nigerian School “St. Charles Secondary School, Osogbo, Osun State” lives the nightmare of shattered dreams as he currently finds himself behind bars at the United States of America’s Federal Prison for crimes involving conspiracy to import and distribute Heroin and for which he was convicted in 1993.
Your Excellency, he has been behind bars since 1993. He has spent 22[twenty- two] years out of a 30 [Thirty] year sentence and he is presently 44 [Forty four] years old. The advent of the world wide web has collapsed the world into a global village and this was where in my passion and desire to re-connect with an old friend, I became aware of Tolulope Akinrosotu’s [herein ‘Tolu’] ordeal. His Parents, presently residing in Lagos Nigeria were equally located through the old NITEL telephone directory.
Today and after about 22 years later, about twenty of us are working together to secure the audience of the United States President for Clemency, that Tolu may be a free man. I never imagined I could write this, but when electricity from the National Grid powered my house without interruption for 10 days, my hope rekindled, that my simple request for the liberty of a fellow Nigerian is possible under your leadership.
Sir, your simple approval, recommendation and sympathy is louder than the 25,000 signatures that are required to get the audience of the President of the United States of America to exercise his prerogative power of Clemency.
A web site, http://www.clemencyfortolu.com to achieve this was opened in his honour in January, 2012 presently with about 2000 signees.
Tolu is one of the people in the United States of America serving the longest prison term for a non-violent drug related crime. The details of his conviction and life are available on http://www.clemencyfortolu.com
Tolu’s mother has spoken less than 20 [Twenty] words in over 10 years; as a result of post traumatic stress which confined her to a psychiatric home for over three years and the once promising family of 4 children is shattered.
Justice is 3way traffic; it is commonly said. Justice to the society, Justice to the victim and Justice to the accused. Justice has not been done to Tolu who has served a longer prison term than the conspirators of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
I have no doubt about his hunger and capacity to develop himself if only he could be given a second chance. I will continually remember the appetite and the doggedness Tolu exhibited to resolve complex issues during his time in “St. Charles Secondary School, Osogbo”. Justice for Tolu is the only way this can be achieved.
I have this belief that there is nothing God cannot do through you sir.
God bless Nigeria. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria, long live Mr. President.
Adedapo A Olumuyiwa
+234 803 405 7676
olumuyiwaadedapo@yahoo.com
