The Federal Government has pledged to put in place appropriate measures for the smooth administration of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCOs toward promoting the welfare of officers and men including that of inmates in the nation’s custodial facilities.
The Minister of Interior Agbeni Rauf Aregbesola made this known during the 28th Passing out Parade of the Assistant Superintendent of Correction ASC, Basic Course, Batch D at the Correctional Service staff college, Kaduna.
He regretted that, the event came at a time when the country is facing serious security threats, particularly the attacks on the nation’s custodial facilities with the recent one at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje in Abuja.
Rauf Aregbesola who expressed the government’s commitment to improving the well-being of the citizenry including those behind bars pointed out that, the full implementation of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 and its objectives remain topmost on Government’s agenda.
Inspecting the Correctional Cadet Officers, the minister who was also the reviewing officer tasked them to be firm and courageous in carrying out their lawful duties.
” Our facilities are sacred and inviolable, they are a red zone and we shall defend them with the resources at our disposal,
” Let me remind you all that we are stakeholders in the quest to restore lasting peace in our country, so therefore, every hand must be on deck.
” From now on, there should be capacity development such that there will be sufficient officers that can effectively bear and use sophisticated arms in the defense of our custodial centres, and only those officers should be deployed to man the facilities”, he explained.
Mr. Aregbesola told officers in the custodial centers to be exemplary in both character and conduct, and to shun practices that would jeopardize the security of the custodial centers and by implication, the Nigerian people.
The minister of interior posited that one of the essences of the correction system was for officers and men to uphold with utmost seriousness, their integrity, security, and safety for all by ensuring that inmates experience reset to the excellent mode they were created to be.
“They are in our custody for safety and custody, denied of liberty and freedom as a consequence of their crime, but Available for correction, rehabilitation, Reformation, and eventual re-integration.
“They are expected to be corrected from bad persons to good persons, while in our custody, they should be subject to discipline and good influence that will aid their recovery,
“They are not supposed to be exposed to bad influences that will encourage them along the evil path that got them to jail, they should not experience any harm, abuse, or suffer non-statutory punishment in our custody”, said the minister.
Aregbesola who was confident that the basic Course had produced the desired impact on the graduands for the task ahead, noted that, in the long run, there are bound to be challenges and temptations that would require sacrifice and determination for them to progress in the service.
“You have been called into a leadership position in this system to serve the nation in this great and wonderful enterprise of keeping offenders safe and sound in custody and ultimately making them better persons than they were before coming in. You must not fail nor falter in this assignment”.
“It is therefore abominable for them to leave custody the same way or worst than they came in, as recidivism is abhorrent in the correction system”.
He lauded the effort of the Commandant of the Correctional staff College ACGC, Benson Abolade Victor, and his team of instructors for ensuring that the college continues to fulfill its mandate of training and re-training Officers and men even in the light of the emerging national and global security challenges.
Manning the Custodial Centres, the minister appreciated the Correctional Officers and men for keeping the nation safe and urged them to remain disciplined, patriotic, and diligent in the discharge of their responsibilities, especially in the light of the prevailing security challenges confronting the country.
Daniel Karlmax FRCN, Kaduna.