•Feeding for inmates increases by over 40%.
•Inmates’ biometric is a must.
•Officers found wanting, will be dealt with decisively.
It’s a new dawn at the Nigeria Correctional Service as the acting Controller General (CG), Sylvester Nwakuche, held a rare interactive session with officers, where marching orders, warnings, etc., were given to the officers.
Nwakuche stated that officers need to give morning and evening briefs of happenings in the custodial centres: “You are to ensure that daily morning and evening briefs of important happenings in the custodial centres and commands reach the office of the DCG Operations between the hours of 7:00 and 9:00 am and 3:00 and 5:00 pm.”I won’t fail to wield the big stick on anyone that contravenes; this administration will maintain zero tolerance for all alleged wrongdoings. Any officers found wanting will face the full wrath of the law, no matter whose ox is gored, and let me state this clearly: capturing inmates’ biometrics is a must,” he concluded.
On staff welfare, the Ag CG acknowledged the hardship in terms of accommodation of officers and assured that measures would be put in place to tackle the challenges, while admitting to ensuring promotion for qualified personnel, which the minister of interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has made sustainable going forward for paramilitary officers in the interior ministry: “There’s no gainsaying that the staff presently suffer untold hardship in terms of accommodation, as the vast majority live either in unbefitting houses or in completely squalid makeshift shelters. The government shall respond by embarking on vigorous barrack rehabilitation and constructing new ones where required.”
The acting CG further acknowledged the significant efforts of the minister of interior and what he has done in one year, ” All thanks to the interior minister, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who has, in the space of one year, secured Presidential approval for the recruitment of personnel (doctors and nurses), improved salaries, as well as staff welfare, ensured the promotion of officers, facilitated payment of Consolidated Salaries to Deputy Controllers-General of Corrections and above, secured the payment of peculiar allowances, alongside payment of over N585m fines for indigent inmates and seen to the introduction of cameras and security gadgets in some of our major custodial centres etc.”
On inmates’ welfare, reformation, rehabilitation, and re-entry process, Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche said, “The welfare of the inmates’ remains a top priority; efforts in reforming and rehabilitating the inmates will also involve expanding classrooms, upscaling vocational skills centres, and fostering public-private partnerships to guarantee sustainability, and it is noteworthy that the management of vulnerable persons in the custodial centres—persons who are physically challenged—will be favourably taken care of.”
The acting CG said the feeding rate for inmates has been increased but promised to continue to press more for an improved rate. “In line with renewed hope of President Tinubu, the feeding rate has been graciously increased from N750 to N1,125 but I will continue to press for more improved rate.”
On the federal government infrastructural intervention, the acting CG pointed out the challenges being faced and measures to tackle the problems while he acknowledged the effort of Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo for his intervention in the revamping, upgrading, and rehabilitation of correctional centres nationwide. “Some of our facilities are experiencing infrastructural upgrades; concrete and reinforced perimeter fences dot our landscapes. Kudos to the honourable minister of interior’s intervention; the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kuje, has been transformed; MSCC Suleja is being revamped, amongst others nationwide. The 3,000-capacity custodial centres are in various stages of completion.”
On management of overcrowding of the correctional facilities, the ag. CG proposed collaboration with ministry of justice, police, stakeholders to further decongest the custodial centres nationwide especially those who are Awaiting Trial, “The use of non-custodial measures and early release of mechanisms will be taken up with the judiciary, the over 48,000 inmates in custody who are Awaiting Trial, I intend to interface with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Inspector General of Police, and other Prosecuting Agencies as well as critical stakeholders to fast track the trial of these inmates especially those who are non-bailable offences like armed robbery, murder, and others that constitute over 70% of the Awaiting Trial Persons (ATPs).”
Written by Mustapha Olatunji from Abuja.
