~Only way to shut our prisons is by opening more vocational centres
CHIGOZIE AMADI
A group, Niger Delta Rights Advocates, NDRA, has welcomed the opening of a Garment and shoe factory in Abia State, one of the nine Niger Delta states.
NDRA Chairman, Bright Ngolo, gave the applause via a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday evening.
Ngolo said the successful launching of the project has lifted the hearts of the youths in that state and the Niger Delta region by extension.
He said the project will trigger local, national and international economy, and save the nation hundreds of millions of taxpayer’s money that would have been expended on kitting officers and men of the correctional services. The buzz that this will trigger for allied industries can only be imagined.
His words, “With today’s launch of the brand-new Garment & Shoe Factory at Aba in Abia State by the NCoS, through a groundbreaking initiative carried out in partnership with Erojim Nig Ltd, decades of fetters around genuine empowerment and reformation of inmates who have to go through our correctional centres and providing them with the skills they need to start afresh and rebuild psycho-socially and psychologically has been birthed.
“Interestingly, this heartwarming achievement is coming on the heels of the opening of a class-act furniture showroom in Borno State by the NCoS.
“NDRA restate our previous call on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the National Assembly to as a matter of urgent public interest, further oxygenate the silent revolution taking place with custodial centres by increasing budgetary allocations to the NCoS and indeed Interior Ministry.
“We in the NDRA believe the best way to get even better results out of a performing Ministry or agency is by paying such a Ministry more attention. We therefore reiterate our earlier call that Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and his team be seriously encouraged to completely rebuild and transform our decayed custodial centres owing to several years of criminal neglect.
“he NDRA, as an nitiative is a testament to the fact that Government and its agencies can actually serve as vehicles for transformation of lives of our citizens. This factory and the furniture factory at Borno State, will offer inmates top-tier vocational training, giving them valuable tools to earn a living both inside and outside the correctional facilities.
“We end by saying that one strategy that the current Federal Government must adopt to dissuade increasing vices amongst our vast youth population, is by multiplying the shape and size of vocational skills acquisition and trainings. This will help shut the gates of our custodial centres to the youth and cut down drastically on the number of inmates within the 240 custodial centres across the nation.”
