Club donates N2.6m kitchen facility to Warri Prison

The Warri Liberty Lions Club on Thursday donated kitchen facility worth N2.6 million to the Nigerian Prisons Service, Okere, Warri in Delta.

The President of the club, Mrs Maureen Moreira, said the donation of the facility was to improve the condition of the kitchen in the prison as desired by the inmates and the authority.

Moreira said the facility would help to protect the environment from pollution and also provide shelter during cooking.

She added that it would prevent health hazards emanating from fumes inhaled by the inmates, the prison officials and the neighbouring residents.

“This project is coming at a time when the inmates go through herculean tasks in preparing their meals as the rain either washes off their meals or soaks the firewood.

“The pollution of the environment by the emissions and inhalation of the smoke by inmates and nearby residents is unacceptable.

“With this project, we are protecting the environment from pollution and providing suitable shelter during cooking.

“Of course, we are also preventing health problem resulting from the fumes inhaled by the inmates, the prisons officials and the neighbouring residents,’’ she said.

The facility which has seven in-built local ovens for cooking was inaugurated by the Mr Olatunbosun Okpeseyi, the District Governor of 404 AI of Lions Club.

Okpeseyi urged the prison authority to make good use of the facility to attract other projects.

“We are not a religion organisation; anything that has to do with humanity is our concern.

“The inmates need our help; that they made mistake does not mean we should abandon them,’’ he said.

The Deputy Controller of the Prisons, Mr Solomon Airiohuovon, thanked the club for the donation.

“We suspend our cooking sometimes because of rain thereby prolonging the time we are supposed to eat. I am happy that we are not going to experience that again,’’ he said.

The General Provost of the inmates who chose to be anonymous appealed for donation of mattresses particularly for those on life imprisonment.

He said: “I thank Lions Club for putting smile on our faces; you have given us a new hope in this present predicament.

“However, I want to humbly appeal for some mattresses particularly for those inmates who were on death roll but later had their sentences now converted to life imprisonment by government.’’