Security
Ben-Rabbi Freedman, Controller of Correction, Lagos State Command, Nigeria Correctional Service, has identified education and skills acquisition as critical tools in the reformation and rehabilitation of inmates.
Freedman stated this at the inauguration of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) special examination and skills acquisition centre at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ikoyi, on Tuesday.
According to him, for any country to attain development of any measure, it must consider building human capacity, by way of education and skills acquisition.
The controller said the custodial centre is a microcosm of the larger society.
He noted that education had proven to be a game changer in terms of mindset, after which all other things would take their natural course.
The controller said that every individual needed some form of education, irrespective of where they may find themselves.
“Today, we are here to formally inaugurate the examination/vocational centre of the NOUN, here in our facility.
“The Nigerian Correctional Service has been into very productive partnership, since 2010, essentially to give inmates the opportunity to access education as well as acquire vocational skills.
It has been a worthy partnership between the correctional services and the NOUN because to date, we have enrolled over 2,000 inmates across the federation.
“Let me say that this centre is the second in the state and the 12th in the country. In Lagos state, it has been like the pacesetter because the first ever study and vocational centre for the correctional service, partnering with the NOUN, is the one at our Kirikiri facility,” he said.
He noted that over time, the service had been faced with the burden of conveying the inmates (students) to the Kirikiri Maximum Custodial Centre in huge numbers, to write their examinations, where they would be lodged for a couple of days for the period.
According to him, an advocacy was thereafter carried out by the facility, for a centre to be approved by the NOUN at the Ikoyi facility that would cater for the process.
“Today, we are glad to announce that that advocacy has paid off and we are here to witness the inauguration of a full fledged centre, not just a study centre, but an examination and vocational centre, as graciously approved by NOUN.
“The good news is that they acquire this education up to the PhD level. In fact, currently in Lagos, we have two of them running their PhD programme and they are about five of them in total, nationwide.
“All of these is to enhance their capacity, which, in return, gives them competencies and proficiency because they will not remain in custody, as ultimately, one day, they will return back to the society.
“The fact that we are doing this is beyond taking the inmates into safe and humane custody, beyond keeping them out of circulation, we equip them with quality education as well as skills acquisition.
“We identify the causes of their anti social behavior and give them capacity. The idea of our educational programmes, which is one of our flagship programmes, is to give them capacity.
“These persons we keep here that run foul of the law of the land are not just kept here for government to be feeding them. Reorientation and education are some of the tools we use in correcting their mindset and also enhancing their capacity, and when they acquire these skills and get certificates, things automatically begin to turn around for themselves, their family and our nation,” he stated.
He lauded the management of the correctional services at the higher level, starting from the controller general, who had given them the marching orders to ensure that the inmates were meaningfully engaged academically and by way of skills acquisition.
Also speaking, Julius Ogueri, Deputy Controller of Corrections in-charge of the Ikoyi medium custodial centre noted that the centre was a giant stride made by the leadership of the services, toward making life meaningful for inmates.
According to him, educational programmes and vocational training in the facility contrast with the erroneous impression of the Nigerian Correctional Service as a mere warehouse for criminals.
“A substantial number of our inmates have been sufficiently trained and certified in various skills, aside the education acquired, and are ready to be integrated into the society.
“Currently, we have about 98 inmates attending the NOUN in our facility and some will be graduating this year.
“Our vocational centre has trained most of the inmates in the area of tailoring, carpentry, shoe making and a host of others and these things are some of the best in the country.
“It may interest you to know that my uniform and even my outing clothes are being made and designed here, just like those of other officers and some members of the public.
“I will like to thank all those who have been supporting us here, the churches, such as House on the Rock for equipping our ICT centre with 20 computers and accessories, NGOs and other stakeholders. It can only get better. We need more,” he said.
Mrs Modupe Adesina, National Coordinator for Special Services, NOUN, described the ceremony as a long awaited desire that had been realised.
She noted that the university’s partnership with the NCS would go a long way to foster more bonding and unity.
“Before now, Ikoyi has always been a correctional centre, only that it was not a correctional examination centre.
“It was under the Kirikiri correctional centre, but as at last year, it became a full fledged correctional examination centre and so today, we are here to inaugurate it.
“One of the benefits of having this centre here is that it will improve performance of the inmates (students) in the facility, as against what used to obtain when they are moved to another centre to write their examination, among many others.
“I want to encourage them to make good use of the centre, improve themselves and strive for a better life in the near future,” she stated.
Mr Idris Ibikunle, Principal of the school in the facility, in his goodwill message, lauded the leadership of the custodial centre for efforts made in improving teaching and learning among inmates.
He also lauded the management of the NOUN for their support in promoting learning, as well other stakeholders for their prompt response to some of the educational and vocational needs of the inmates.(NAN)
T.S
-January 31, 2024 @ 6:08 GMT|
Tags: Ben-Rabbi Freedman
