PCC, others advocate improved living condition for Nigerian inmates
The Public Complaints Commission (PCC), the country’s Ombudsman, has advocated improved living condition for inmates in the nation’s Correctional Centers.
The Chief Commissioner of PCC, Mr Abimbola Ayo-Yusufu, made the call at a stakeholders/public hearing on developments within the Nigeria Correctional Service on Wednesday in Owerri.
The theme of the event, was “Systemic and Proactive Investigation into the Welfare of Inmates in Correctional Centres in Nigeria.”
Ayo-Yusufu said the Commission had taken note of the condition of facilities, which directly affected the welfare, treatments, medication, environmental and sanitary conditions of inmates in various facilities.
“Our aim is to get the National Assembly to pass bills that will bring about reforms from the Police, Judiciary to the Correctional Centers,” he said.
He urged the stakeholders to proffer workable and enduring solutions to the challenges of decongesting the prisons, reintegrating inmates into society as well as equipping them with various vocational trainings.
Also, the PCC’s Federal Commissioner in Imo, Chief Mike Uzodimma, who read out a report of investigation carried out by the commission, decried the deplorable condition of the Owerri Correctional Centre.
Uzodimma said that most of the inmates were held in squalid and congested cells without adequate care.
According to him, the situation led to frequent avoidable deaths and outbreak of diseases, especially skin and respiratory infections.
“Awaiting trial inmates charged for minor offences are regrettably accommodated in the same cell with persons being tried for kidnapping or hostage taking.
“Inmates are grossly malnourished and pale, following complaints of the food rations being unfit for human consumption as contractors frequently supply unwholesome food items,” he said.
Uzodimma further said that the Owerri Correctional Center clinic was grossly inadequate to deal with the health challenges confronting inmates, especially in the provision of drugs to treat malaria, typhoid and skin infections.
He further expressed concern over issues that restrained justice delivery for the inmates, access to skill acquisition and the worrisome situation where inmates contribute ‘fuel money’ to power generator that pumps water.
“Clearly, Nigeria is trailing a far distance behind the civilised world in the quality of welfare received by the inmates,” he said.
Uzodimma called for the establishment of more facilities to decongest the Owerri and Okigwe facilities.
He also called for adequate funding for the sector to improve inmates’ welfare, among other recommendations.
“We have agreed that between today and next two weeks, all the sectors involved, directly or indirectly, ensure that we write officially all complaints for channeling to National Assembly, State and Federal Governments for action,” he said.
In a remark, the Assistant Controller General, Correctional Center, Zone E, ACG Chris Okoye, said the Nigeria Correctional Service plays vital role in the maintenance of internal security in the country.
“The vision is to establish a credible service which through excellent penal practice, seeks lasting change in the offender’s attitude, values and behavior and ensure effective reintegration of offenders into society.
“The objective is to correct, reform and redirect the inmate’s behavior to become a responsible personality, and prepare them for life outside the center through self-reliant skills and empowerment tools,” he said.
Okoye, however, said that correctional centers were faced with challenges, including paucity of funds, inadequate trained craftsmen, inadequate office accommodation and facility and low community support network, among others.
A representative of the Department of State Services, Mr Dan Jebtoa, expressed the belief that an improvement in the welfare of the Correctional Center officials would reflect in the improved condition of inmates.
Also, a Legal Practitioner, Mr Emeka Nwangwu, called for improved budgetary allocation for the nation’s correctional centers to enable them to overcome the challenges and prevent a looming disaster.
