Monday, August 26, 2019

Clerics want speedy reforms in prison, justice system

Stanley Ihedigbo

A prison stakeholder, Pastor Femi Fafowora, has urged the federal government to ensure speedy reforms in the Nigerian Prisons and Justice System.


Fafowora made this appeal at the 11th Annual Praise Festival, organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and others in Lagos.

Fafowora said: “Maximum, Medium and other prisons were built for specific offenders, but regrettably, this is no longer the case. All Inmates are now lumped together, no matter the weight of the offence, owing to explosion in the number of inmates. We are begging the necessary authorities to see to the speedy reform in the prisons as well as the justice system. I know of an inmate, who has been on death row in a prison for 23 years. I wondered the rationale behind such a situation.”

He noted that religious bodies and nongovernmental organisations, had often collaborated with the prison authorities to train inmates on various skills and vocations.
He said: “The prison is to correct and not merely to condemn. Inmates should be treated well. The prison authorities should ensure that justice is not only served, but served speedily as Justice delayed is Justice denied.”

The Head of Kirikiri Medium Security Prison, Deputy Comptroller of Prisons (DCP), Ben Rabbi Freedman (Rev.), while speaking, commended churches and NGOs on their impact towards correctional values brought into the prisons.

He commended the management, staff of the Medium Security Prison and the inmates as well as all the clerics, partners and other stakeholders, who have continuously ensured that the praise festival continued to hold and has now held for 11 years.

He said that 99% of the activities performed at the event were solely done by the inmates.

He further added: "Some of the inmates have written the General Certificate of Education (GCE) O’ Level and those who excelled had been granted admission into the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to pursue various academic disciplines. We can boast of a paint manufacturing factory, a poultry farm, and shoe factory amongst others. These are achieved because of our drive and push to leave a positive and enduring legacy in the sands of time at the Medium Security Prison."

The guest minister, Emeka Eze, while speaking on, “Enter His courts with praise,” said that the goal of the event was  to rebrand and refocus the attention of young men and women from evil to total service and dependence on God, taking into cognizance the alarming rate of crime among the youths as well as the high prison population.

He called on all well-meaning Nigerians and churches to join hands by contributing bountifully towards this noble project.

Another stakeholder, Pastor Audu Daniel, speaking on ‘Life after Prison,’ worried about discriminations faced by inmates after they were released from prison.

He said: “The whole essence of incarceration, rehabilitation programmes, church visits and ministration, counselling and mentoring in the prisons are aimed at reformation, remodeling and reintegration into the society.”

He therefore called on the society to welcome, accept and render assistance to ex-prisoners, who had been transformed. Chaplain Darlington Ajitemisan, a stakeholder in the event, called on the authorities to build functional libraries in prisons.

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