The Federal Government has urged the management of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to focus on rehabilitation of inmates, reformation, and respect for human rights.
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the directive on Monday in Abuja while declaring open a two-day performance contract signing retreat for the Interior Ministry and heads of its paramilitary agencies with the theme “United Front for a Secure Nation and Future.”
The services and agencies under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Interior, namely the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Federal Fire Service (FFS), the NCoS, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the Civil Defence Correctional Fire and Immigration (CDCFI) Board, are critical pillars supporting the nation’s security and development.
Speaking against the backdrop of recent reports of torture and underhand dealings in some custodial centres, the Tunji-Ojo declared that he would never defend the service when it comes to issues of reputation and management and issues of correctional institution development.
“As I always say, I will never defend you when it comes to issues of reputation and management and issues of correctional institution development. But as a minister, we will take responsibility, and we will be better; that’s what is important.
“We will be better because you have a critical role to play in the national security architecture. Also, the Nigerian Correctional Service has to be a place where hopes are renewed, not a place where hopes are truncated.
“Obviously, you must change from prisons, in the real sense of it, a place of incarceration, to correctional service, correctional centres, a place of transformation, rehabilitation. That is very key,” he said.
On respect for human rights, the Minister emphasised that it was the responsibility of the management of the correctional service to ensure that the rights of inmates were respected and people under custody were treated with dignity.
The Minister charged the paramilitary agencies to redouble their efforts in actualisation of their mandates, saying all the agencies put together have a key role in the protection of lives and property in the country.
Permanent Secretary, the Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, said the performance contract-signing retreat transcends the usual formalities, saying it was a rare opportunity to renew a shared sense of duty and commitment to the core mandates of the Ministry.
“Together, we are tasked with fostering an environment where every Nigerian can feel safe, protected, and empowered,” she said.
Ajani added that the gathering was to evoke a covenant of accountability and a promise to deliver on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
She added that the documents would serve as a roadmap for the Ministry’s vision, setting measurable targets that will reflect the impact on the nation’s security and well-being.
“As we affix our signatures, let it be a symbol of dedication, a pledge to hold ourselves accountable, to foster inter-agency synergy, and to maximise each agency’s impact in delivering on its mandate. Through these agreements, we are not only signing our names but committing to tangible results,” she added
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