By Uche Onyeali
Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Controller of Corrections, Mr Christopher Jen has appealed to Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, to support skills acquisition for inmates to aid their rehabilitation.
Jen made the appeal in Abuja during a courtesy call on the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Adamu Matthew, to explore areas of partnership.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Samson Duza, olin a statement yesterday, quoted Jen as saying that the rehabilitation would be meaningful when inmates engage in productive ventures.
“We want to ensure that our inmates are kept busy and acquire skills that will enable us sleep with our two eyes closed when they are discharged,” the statement quoted the controller as saying.
Jen added that the university’s Open and Distance Learning, ODL, programmes could be extended to custodial centres to ensure that inmates have access to quality education.
Responding, the acting vice-chancellor acknowledged the crucial role of corrections in the society, saying the shift from “prison” to “corrections” underscores the emphasis on rehabilitation.
Matthew pledged the university’s commitment to establish an ODL centre at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kuje, in addition to existing programmes run by the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN.
He also assured of the institution’s readiness to sensitise its community, especially students on the need to avoid stigmatising inmates.
He said such awareness would strengthen reintegration and support for rehabilitated persons.
The visit highlighted the need for collaboration between correctional service and academic institutions in promoting rehabilitation and social reintegration.
