CBN staff bankroll makeover of Awka Prison

A block of five cells and a library renovated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Awka branch was on Wednesday handed over to the management of the Nigerian Prisons in Awka.

Commissioning the building, the Deputy Governor of the CBN, Mr Tunde Lemo, said the project was part of the apex bank’s corporate social responsibility to the economy.

Lemo, represented by the Enugu Branch Controller of the bank, Mr Patrick Okonkwo, said the CBN had always executed projects which affected the lives of the people.

He urged other organisations to partner with the government in enhancing the lives of the people by embarking on such projects.

“The CBN has been very forward looking in affecting the lives of the people positively as part of its corporate social responsibility apart from the mandate of issuance of currency and ensuring financial stability, among others.

“The Awka branch has demonstrated that by putting this in place and as you can see, everybody, especially the inmates, are happy for it,’’ he said.

In his speech, the Awka Branch Controller of the bank, Mr Azubuike Okoro, said the project was borne out of the pathetic feelings which the staff of the bank had for the prisoners.

“The project was not an easy task as we had to levy ourselves in the branch in order to realise more than N3 million to accomplish what we are admiring here today.

“We sincerely hope and believe that both the prisons authorities and the inmates will make good use of the facilities to promote a better and healthier living conditions for the inmates,” he said.

The Controller of Awka prisons, Mr Columbus Omenuko, in his remarks, thanked officials of the CBN for their intervention, saying they had built mansions for themselves in heaven.

The Awka prison was built in 1904. It has a capacity for 238 prisoners, but has 400 inmates, at the moment.