Minister of Interior and past governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has urged state governments to build correctional facilities in order to accommodate inmates convicted by the states.
Aregbesola, who gave the admonition while inaugurating an office complex for the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in Avu, Owerri, on Friday, said the advice would help decongest Federal correctional facilities.
He said subnational governments should heavily invest in corrections and reintegrate inmates as the national assembly has removed custodial facilities from the exclusive list.
The Minister maintained that the edifice would bring about improved working environment for officers and men of the command as a result leads to national security.
He furthered the Nigerian Correctional Service had previously commissioned similar complexes in Osun and Rivers states, expressing optimism that its custodial villages, scattered across the six geopolitical zones, would soon be completed.
He therefore appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari paying rapt attention to the NCoS.
“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.”
Aregbesola revealed that as part of its rehabilitation agenda, 634 out of the 1,704 inmates who sat for the WASSCE passed, noting that 4,767 inmates registered for adult education programmes in 2022.
He also noted that about 280 inmates made up of 267 males and 13 females have enrolled for various vocations such as shoemaking, Woodwork, Welding, barbing, dress-making and so on.
While reacting, the Controller General of NCoS, Haliru Nababa, eulogized the minister’s quality leadership and continuous support towards the Service.
“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.
