Nigeria Correctional Services graduate 61 Deputy Controllers

Sixty-one Deputy Controllers of Nigeria Correctional Services on Friday completed their eight weeks advance management training at the Service’s Academy, aimed at repositioning the services.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the officers took part in the 11th Deputy Controllers Command (DCPs) Course Batch ‘C’ at the Academy in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State.

Speaking at the ceremony, the NCS Comptroller-General, Alhaji Ja’afaru Ahmed, said that human capacity development remains one of the utmost priorities in the correctional programmes for effective service delivery.

According to him, the recent enactment of the Nigeria Correctional Service Act, 2019, has repealed the Prison Act Cap, P29, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“This is another milestone in the history of the service which memories will continue to linger for decades with the recent enactment of the Nigeria Correctional Service Act, 2019,” he said.

The comptroller-general urged the course participants to justify the huge investment of the Federal Government on the service.

Ahmed said efforts had been put in place to conclude the ongoing review and expansion of the curriculum being used at the training institution to attain international best practices.

“More than 12,000 staff members in the service had gone on various training and retraining and refresher courses within the last three years of my tenure,” he said.

Ahmed was represented by Chiabua Victor, an Assistant Controller General (ACG) Zone A in charge of Lagos and Ogun.

He said that over 20,000 officers of the service were promoted to boost and motivate their morals toward hard work and dedication to duty.

On infrastructure upgrade, Ahmed said over 200 custodial blocks and cells were either constructed or renovated in the correctional service.

In his remarks, Commandant of the Academy, Oluwayiopese Benson, appealed for support to help the institution attain its desired status to attract correctional practitioners from Africa and beyond.

Benson urged community leaders and spirited individuals to assist the service in the provision of hostels for students, accommodation and staff quarters which he said would be named after the donor.

The commandant advised the participants to make good use of the knowledge they acquired during their training.

According to him, the Correctional Act will enhance the operations of the service and reduced congestion in the entire prisons across the country.

“We appeal to notable sons and daughters of the community , home and abroad to support the service in providing hostel, accommodation and staff quarters.

“To the graduands, I encourage you all to key into the principle of the New Correctional Act, 2109.

“The Act emphasises the custodial and non-custodial faculties in ensuring the service achieve its objectives,” he said.