Edo prison inmates acquire computer engineering skill

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

No fewer than 23 inmates of the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS), were Thursday empowered with computer engineering skills after five-week training organised by the Service.

The training which was organised by the Prison authorities in collaboration with Alcom Tech, a non-governmental organisation, was part of efforts to equip prisoners with necessary skills for self-employment when they rejoin the society.

The Comptroller of Prisons, Edo State Command, Effiom Etowa, disclosed that the inmates, comprising 16 males and seven females, were trained in computer repair, software installation and system configuration.

He explained that similar training programme which had been held for inmates at the Benin Old Prison, would also be extended to other prison formations in Auchi and Ubiaja.

While calling for collaboration from private agencies and organisations to equip more inmates and make them economically self-reliant, Etowa urged the beneficiaries to put to use the various skilled gathered from the programme on completion of their prison terms.

“We also call on the state government to come to our aid by re-integrating these people into the society. They are now electronic engineers. Now that we have inmates who have been criminals and have been taught how to put food on their table, we expect other government agencies to partner with us to train more of our inmates,” he said.

Edo State Coordinator of National Directorate of Employment, Manchester, Ms. Ayo Edegbai, who commended the Command for the initiative, expressed willingness by the NDE to key into the programme to extend acquisition of skills to other inmates.

“These inmates need empowerment so that when they come out, they will be able to feed themselves and even become employers of labour.

“So, we want to collaborate with them and see how we can help the other inmates acquire life skills that can be learnt within one or two months so that, when they come out, they will not be a liability. They will be well rehabilitated into to the wider society,” the NDE boss said.