By Edwin Philip
The continuous call for the reformation of the Nigerian Correctional Service despite the name change from Nigerian Prison Service to it present name, reviewing the 2019 Correctional Service act to have a human face, practicable in line with global best practices have been raised.
This was the talking point at the day five of the second public hearing of the Independent Investigation Panel on Alleged Corruption, abuse of power, Torture, cruel, Inhumane, and Degrading Treatment Against the Nigerian Correctional Service.
In their various submissions and presentations, the Non Governmental Organizations, (NGOs) Civil Society Organizations( CSOs) said beyond the rhetorics of name change the Correctional Service has not changed it old rules in practical terms, as the centres are still congested, making it difficult for monitoring and evaluation to be effective, calling for infrastructural upgrades such as expansion, making it enabled for inmates through digitization of the facility for good record keeping, accountability and transparency.
They also call for the building of relationships between the correctional officers and the inmates, in the areas of sport, with particular reference to football, according to Mr Fasasi Sodig, the Chief Executive Officer of Fasasi Youth Foundation; “because most of the time, the Correctional officer treat the inmates like outcast, they treat them as if they are condemned people, so football with title like freedom tournament, between the correctional officers and the inmates, can bring down the prison wall and foster harmonious system” he said.
They said the issue of bureaucratic bottlenecks, interns of the NGOs accessing the Correctional centres in the cause of doing their duties have hampered reasonable development as regards inmates welfare, well-being, transparency, which could led to the abuse of their rights as human being at the first instance, emphasizing the need for psychologist to be available at the centres for mental health of not just the officers even the inmates.
“Addressing corruption, infrastructural upgrade, the need to modernized the correctional centres, the reason why they changed that nomenclature from prison to correctional centre, is for corrections to take place, the word prison is more of a cage bandage, it was changed so that the people who go there can change from bad to good” a presenter said.
The emotional part of the hearing, was the case of the Correctional officers having to buy their uniforms and other kits through their pockets, while rendering services to the nation, as against the past where their uniforms where provided by the government.
However, the representative of the Controller of Correctional, Ibrahim Idris ESQ.an Assistant Controller of Correctional, said the management of inmates have not been very easy for the service, as most of them have spent years, ranging from 20 and above, in the correctional centres, so they expect more from the management, interns of their issues, especially the Inmates on Death Roll, ( IDRs) formally called condemned criminals.
According to him, the apprehension of the IDRs are whether to be executed or not to be executed, saying that unfortunately the management has no answers to most of what they are asking, because their duty is to keep and continue to keep very well, make the environment conducive, so that when they are required they will be produce.
“IDR inmates is supposed to be like every other inmates, but interns of food and other provisions, their environments, is far better than an ordinary inmates, so we do that on discrimination bases, no amount is voted for that, an average IDR, apart from the psychological torture, of waiting for death, which is very difficult for them to bear” he said.
He recommended that the prerogative of mercy should activate section 4 of the new act, which can be summarize that if you stay for ten years in the Correctional centre,the chief judge of the State should use his discretion in terms either outright discharge or fix term of imprisonment or even life imprisonment.
“We want the NBA to assist us draw this into the prerogative of mercy committee and the Chief judges of State, that is this ten years that is been twisted to become 30 years, they should assist on humanitarian grounds, if someone has spent 10 years, something should be done on his matter, prerogative of mercy agencies and that of States should assist, we don’t have powers to do this” he solicited.
He further recommended that the Chief Judge in that section 12 should be replaced by the Controller General, such that when the inmates stay for 10 years, as they are in custody of this inmates, having known what they have been doing, their behavior and otherwise, they know those that will suitable to be released outrightly or serve life imprisonment.
“So if we have that power, even if it not going to be given outrightly to the CGC, they should be a committee, NGOs, Judiciary Attorney General’s office, so that the moment an inmates on death roll get up to 30 years, staying in the Correctional centres, this committee can seat and take decision in their matter” he added.
As part of her recommendations, the secretary of the panel, Uju Agomoh PhD, threw more lights on section 12, (2) (c) act of the Nigerian correctional service of 2019, she also said that there are needs for the representative of the Controller Generally to report back to the CG if they can go back to that previous practice of providing uniforms to officers, as it is not good for one to be serving the country and paying for his or her uniforms.
The Non Governmental Organizations that presented at the panel were, Prison Fellowship Nigeria, The Fasasi Youth Foundation, Bridging Social Gab initiative, National Association of Women journalist among others.