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430 Prisoners Admitted for Univerity Degree
No fewer than 430 prisoners across the country are now pursuing their various degree programmes at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to enhance their status just as 951 others regained freedom due to the intervention of National Stakeholders on Prison Reforms.
Three others are said to be on the verge of completing their doctorate degree in other universities in the country.
The prisoners were allowed to enroll for the university education as part of new reforms being implemented by the Federal Government to make life out of prison meaningful for the ex-convicts.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Prison Service, Mr. Francis Enebore revealed this in Abuja at a media briefing on the Public Presentation of Survey Reports on the Nigerian Prisons, which holds on February 1.
Enebore said that NOUN was gracious in admitting the prisoners for their higher education to make them better citizens, adding that well-meaning Nigerians and religious and corporate bodies have been assisting the ex-convicts in providing for their educational needs.
He said at a joint media briefing with the Executive Director of Prison Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Dr. Uju Agomoh that 951 other prison inmates were set free upon meeting conditions for freedom.
Among others, he said that fines imposed on the ex-convicts by various courts in the country were offset by the national stakeholders to pave way for their final release.
Besides, the Nigerian Prisons spokesman said that prisoners were now fully engaged in the production of food for themselves and the country in the new farm settlement schemes established in some states.
At the moment, he said that 17 farm settlements in Kaduna were already producing beans in commercial quantities, Bauchi farms producing rice and Edo farms engaging in production of palm oil for the prisoners and the nation.
Enebore commended the new reform initiative stressing that the N450 feeding cost per prisoner in a day was grossly inadequate, hence the introduction of the farm settlement schemes.
He announced that 22 tractors had been procured by the Federal Government and distributed to prisons for the use of prisoners across the country to enhance their farming skills in the production of mainly food crops, adding that a good number of tractors were also underway for delivery before the year runs out.
“In the education sector, I am pleased to announce that 430 of our prisoners are running various degree courses at the National Open University of Nigeria. The new reform efforts allowed them to access university education in order to make life out of prison meaningful for them.
“At the same time, 951 others have been set free by the Nigerian Prison Services due to the intervention of the national stakeholders, which paid various fines imposed on them by various courts as conditions for their freedom.
“In the agriculture, massive revolution is going on with prisoners now engaging in full scale commercial farming. At the moment, we have our farm settlement in Kaduna where the prisoners have produced huge quantities of beans, in Bauchi where rice had been produced and Edo where our farm settlement is involved in the production of palm oil.
“The new prison reform is aimed at making the prisoners to produce food crops and grains for their own consumption as well as the nation at large.
“A total of 22 tractors have been procured for prisons by the Federal Government and distributed already. We are waiting for delivery of another batch before the year runs out.”
The Prisons spokesman also revealed that 217 call duty vehicles were purchased for prisons by the Federal Government thereby making prisoners to access courts for trial, while good medical services are also being provided in addition to good cells for the 242 prisons in the country.
Meanwhile, the survey report on the Nigerian Prisons would be formally presented to the Nigerian public on February 1.
The survey is anchored by experts put together by PRAWA as part of reforms to be put forward to the federal government for implementation that will lead to decongestion of the prisons and ensuring adequate welfare for all the inmates. (PRNigeria)
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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