Major shake-up in Nigeria prisons service

A major shake-up has swept the top echelon of the Nigerian Prisons Service with mass redeployment of senior officers of the service nationwide.

Controller-General of Prisons, Mr  Ja’afaru Ahmed, approved the redeployment of the officers.

The posting instruction letter issued on Monday, July 11, has the Directorate of Inmates’ Training and Productivity now headed by ACG E. O. Ogundele.

He takes over from ACG Ali Bala Salihi, who has been retired from service.

ACG Musa Usman from Zone ‘D’ Minna now heads the Directorate of Administration and Supply while ACG Charles Ahaotu takes over the Directorate of Works and Logistics.

This was contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officers of the service, Mr Francis Enobore, on Tuesday, in Abuja.

ACG Shehu Kangiwa heads the Directorate of Finance and Budget even as ACG Musa Salami from Zone ‘C’ Bauchi superintendents over Health and Social Welfare Directorate.

The Operations Directorate is now headed by ACG Etsu Ubi.

Other senior officers affected in the mass movement include 6 Zonal Coordinators, 25 State Controllers and 32 officers in-charge of different prison formations across the country.

The prison boss noted that the movement became necessary to inject fresh orientation in the workforce, reduce idleness and truancy particularly at the national headquarters in order to enhance efficiency.

He added that the era where officers spend their entire work life in one location and on a particular post was over.

Such practice, he observed, does not allow for sustenance of security in the prison yard and also negates sound understanding of the dynamics of penal management that is needed to make a difference in the life of offenders.