By Blessing Okechukwu
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has inaugurated a newly constructed office complex for the Imo Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
Aregbesola while performing the inauguration in Owerri, said the complex, located at Avu, in Owerri, would serve as an administrative headquarters for the Command.
The Minister said that the complex would provide a good working environment for officers and men of the command which would in turn translate to greater national security.
He said the NCoS has in recent weeks inaugurated similar projects in Osun and Rivers with expectations that its six custodial villages, one in each geopolitical area of the country, would soon be completed and inaugurated.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his support and said the complex and other projects of the Service would help decongest existing correctional facilities in line with global standards.
He called on state governments to take advantage of the removal of the NCoS from the exclusive list to the concurrent list and begin to invest in corrections with a focus on rehabilitation of inmates and their reintegration to society.
“Each of the six custodial centres we are building will accommodate 3000 inmates, have five High Courts and several enterprise facilities for skill acquisition by inmates.
“As a result of our shift in focus from incarceration to reformation and rehabilitation for reintegration, 1,1,704 inmates sat for WASSCE and 634 passed while 4,767 inmates enrolled for adult education programmes in year 2022 alone “, he said.
In his remsrks, the Comptroller General of NCoS, Haliru Nababa, thanked the minister for his pragmatic leadership and support and said that the complex would help produce highly motivated staff who will in turn produce excellent results.
“The importance of providing appropriate and conducive working environment cannot be overemphasized as it is germane for excellent service delivery.
“I am fully confident that the service will witness additional output as a result of this upgrade in infrastructure and this is a step in the right direction “, he said.
Also, Gov. Hope Uzodimma, represented by his Deputy, Prof. Placid Njoku, thanked the minister for accomplishing the completion of the edifice and promised to work with the Service in Imo to maintain security.
The event was attended by Chief Judge of Imo, Justice Theresa Chikeka represented by Justice Chinyere Okereke, as well as Heads of paramilitary agencies in the state.
Highlights of the event were the presentation of awards of excellence to Aregbesola and Nababa by the Imo chapter of the International Prison Chaplaincy Association of Nigeria and a dance presentation by the Iheanyi Dance Troupe.
