The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has commenced the 2022 Correctional Center Audit exercise to ascertain compliance with international best practice.
As part of the official launch of the audit exercise, the Board Chairperson of the Commission Dr. Salamatu Suleiman led the Commission’s delegation to the Headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) Abuja where she donated One thousand reading glasses and five hundred prenatal drugs by the Commission in collaboration with Gift Health Plus (a United States based NGO) to the Service for onward distribution to inmates across the nation.
Dr. Suleiman observed that inmates were entitled to enjoy basic human rights including the right to good health in line with international best practice.
According to Dr. Suleiman, welfare and access to medical care for all inmates cannot be over emphasized given the importance of healthcare to citizens, particularly the vulnerable inmates.
She solicited for maximum cooperation from the Nigeria Correctional Service with the Commission’s Officials to ensure a successful audit .
In her remarks, the Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa commended the NHRC and Gift Health Plus for donating the medical items to the Service.
The Controller General represented by the Deputy Controller General of Corrections, Marylaurine Melchizedek observed that relevant Section of the Constitution and the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), particularly goal 3 emphasized the welfare and security of citizens which included inmates.
The Controller General said the service had lived up to its mandate by providing safe and healthy custody environment for inmates to ensure their physical and mental well-being, despite its lean resources and excruciating circumstance
RN
