Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola
Federal Government has commenced the construction of three thousand capacity Correctional Centres in the six geo- political zones of the country.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola said while answering questions on the achievements of the agencies under his Ministry on Bond FM, 92.9, the language station of Radio Nigeria Lagos operations.
Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, who noted that construction work on the new centres had reached advanced stages in the South- South, North- Central and North- West regions, said the project would soon commence in the remaining three regions.
The Minister also stated that over 10,000 inmates with minor offences had been granted state pardon across the country, as part of measures to decongest the Correctional Centres.
According to him, 349 inmates are currently studying different Degree programmes while over 1000 have enrolled for this year’s West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, as part of government’s committment towards improving the lives of inmates while in detention.
He commended the staff of the Nigeria Correctional services for ensuring that no inmate contracted the COVID 19 virus.
Responding to questions on the state of the nation’s Land borders, Aregbesola said the newly inaugurated Nigeria immigration Service Technology Building in Abuja would improve surveillance and ensure that criminal elements from neighbouring countries no longer find Nigeria as safe haven to perpetrate their crimes.
On the achievements recorded in the Federal Fire service, he said the federal government had acquired 76 fire fighting trucks and other vital equipment to revamp the moribund Fire service across the Federation.
The minister however, lamented that many state governments had abandoned the funding and management of emergency cases to the federal government, a development that was affecting the response time during emergency situations.
And on the Nigeria Security civil and Defence Corps, NSCDC, Aregbesola noted that activities of vandals along petroleum pipelines had significant reduced, while urging Nigerians to desist from building on or close to pipeline networks to avert destruction of lives and property during emergencies.
RN