Following the dearth of health workers in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), the Federal Government has approved the recruitment of more senior health officers in the ongoing recruitment.

Speaking at the ongoing Independent Investigative Panel on the Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, Cruel, Inhumane and Degrading Treatment Against the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, also called on the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to supply more psychologists and psychiatrists to the NCoS to enable them to function more effectively.

Ajani also called on the service to collaborate with drug manufacturers to supply drugs to the system.

“You need a collaboration with drug manufacturers. Build the bridges and empower the people that will take up from you,” she said.

On the Kano facility that has remained unused for eight years, the Permanent Secretary directed the service to go back to do a comprehensive evaluation of Kano Custodial Centre that was built and abandoned eight years ago because of door handles.

“Go back and do a comprehensive evaluation of Kano facility which was completed eight years ago and not used and report to the ministry within one month,” she said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Controller General (Inmates Training and Productivity), Ibrahim Idris, flayed the society’s attitude to ex-prisoners, a situation that makes them feel they should remain in custody even after they have served their terms.

“However, experiences over the years have shown that once inmates are in custody, some families disown and disassociate with them as a result of stigmatization. The NCoS is often presented with wrong information from the inmates regarding their families. Therefore, the service has numerous challenges in accessing the families of inmates due to wrong information, addresses, and lack of logistics for welfare officers. Strategies for assessing and tracking performance and impacting rehabilitation and reintegration,” he said, while calling for collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

He sought collaboration with NGOs to provide legal education and emotional support to families of inmates.

The correctional facilities, he noted, are old and dilapidated buildings. Most of them are overcrowded. As a result of these, the sanitation and general living conditions leave much to be desired, he said. (Daily Sun)