Minister of Interior, Lieutenant Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau
Minister of Interior, Lieutenant Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazzau, (Rtd)
THE Federal Government has said that the welfare and rehabilitation of inmates in the country’s prisons remains one of the top priorities of the current administration.
Minister of Interior, Abdulrahaman Danbazau, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the official flag off, of distribution of assorted drugs recently procured by the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS).
He said the ceremony was a symbolic distribution of drugs to the inmates in various prisons across the country.
He said that without the support of President Muhammadu Buhari, the project would not have been possible in view of the competing needs from other sectors of the economy.
Danbazau, said: “So, the government has to prioritise. Fortunately, we have been given a priority and we must take advantage of this, because utilisation of funds is very important”.
He noted that modern prison system was about correctional and rehabilitation of the inmates, adding that the government has the responsibility of ensuring that the minimum standard for the treatment and rehabilitation of inmates was maintained.
He said: “The aim of putting them into the prison system is not just as punishment and deprivation of liberty but also to ensure that we change them into normal human beings.
“So that when they are re-introduced into the society they will become very responsible persons.
“And in doing so, we must treat them appropriately and ensure that we take care of their welfare, including their health and this why the distribution of these drugs is very important,” he said.
He thanked the President, members of the National Assembly as well as staff of the Ministry of Interior for their support, adding that this was the first of its kind in a very long while.
The minister also urged all officers entrusted with the responsibility of distributing the drugs to the various prison formations to ensure that the drugs were properly and adequately distributed to the inmates.
“I want to urge all of us who have the responsibility in various prisons to ensure that these drugs reach those who are suppose to be beneficiaries of them. It must be given to them promptly, as at when necessary.
“I want to also call on those who have the responsibility of storage, to ensure that they keep proper account of these drugs.
“As we know, funds are very migre and we have worked tirelessly to ensure that these funds are made available.
The Controller General of Prisons, Ja’afaru Ahmed, earlier in his remarks thanked President Buhari as well as the minister for their support, adding that the NPS was bedevilled with a lot of problems.
“The NPS is faced with a lot of challenges, including the lack of motivation on the part of personnel and various other problems that have confronted us and one of them is also the prisoners that are put under our care.
“While others have a very high number of inmates, some states have lesser numbers. For instance, Kaduna State as at Monday had 2,675 inmates and that is why they will be one of the states with the highest number of drugs,” he said.