28th August, 2014
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) has appealed to Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun to extend his olive hand of support to the agency, noting that, NPS appreciates Amosun’s good work since he assumed office three years ago.
The call came from the officer in charge of the Ibara Prison, Abdulkadri Salman, when members of the Islamic Humanitarian Service, led by their coordinator, Alhaji Abdul Rasheed Okenla paid a courtesy visit to inmates at Ibara Prison and later visited him at his office on Thursday.
The Prison Official solicited the governor’s support in the area of logistic, saying, he has done much for them in the health sector. “I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the government, let me say, our governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun should assist us in the area of logistic. If the police, who are also a federal government agency can be supported, why not us? What I am saying in essence is that, he should assist us by giving us vehicles. I can tell you that the one we have here was given to us about eight years ago and we really need this vehicle to assist us in conveying the inmates to court.
“We cannot be using our personal cars to take inmates to court and delaying them by not taking them to court is denying them justice. Mr. Governor should please extend the gesture to us too as the police has benefited a lot. They should be reminded that these inmates are mostly people from Ogun and he has been an advocate of adequate health treatment and rule of law.
“They have done so much for us in the area of health, which I can confirm, they do supply us drugs and medics do come, most of the time now, compared to before, to attend to inmates and the situation in the prison in the area of health has changed for good,” Salman said.
He advised Nigerians not to stigmatize inmates, adding that, they too (inmates) are part of the society. He noted that three quarters of those in the prison are awaiting trials and until they are proven guilty by a competent court of law, we should not push them away from ourselves.
“People should stop stigmatizing inmates, they too are part of the society. The fact that they are in the prison or have been to prison doesn’t mean that we should keep away from them. Many of them who were here before or are still here have learnt their lessons and we should rally round them to support them to start new lives, instead
of condemning them. Stigmatization creates psychological problem, which, if care is not taken, may lead them back to the bad act,” he opined.
Coordinator of the Islamic Humanitarian Service, IHS, Alhaji Abdul Rasheed Okenla thanked God for the lives of the inmates, urging them not to lose hope in God as God’s favour may visit them unexpectedly.
“You should all know that this is not the end of your lives, you are here for an act you have committed but we believe that, when you are leaving here, you would have become new persons. Don’t lose hope in God, hold on to Him and continue praying, don’t join the bandwagons in prison and never be a part of those that always cause unrest or those who plan jail break. Sooner than later, God’s mercy shall fall on you all,” he prayed.