RSG’ll Assist FG On Prison Decongestion- Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has decried the deplorable condition of the nation’s prisons, promising that the State Government would assist the Federal Prison Decongestion Committee to achieve its goal.

Rt. Hon. Amaechi gave this indication Wednesday when a delegation of the Federal Government Committee on Decongestion of Prisons paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Port Harcourt.

Represented by his deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, the State chief executive said “the Prisons are in pathetic condition”, with the Port Harcourt Prisons built in the 1960s as reformatory home for 800 inmates now accommodating over 2,000 inmates.

He noted that the harsh condition of the prisons and pressure of punishment of some inmates against their fellow inmates are reasons crime rate in the prisons is high, pledging the support of the state government to the federal government in its bid to improve the prison facilities in the state.

Governor Amaechi advised Federal government to officially hand over some federal projects or facilities in the States to the state governments, saying the enormity of managing such projects in the states is the reason for the seeming negligence of the facilities on the part of the federal government.

He however said that, though the state government would support the committee’s effort in decongesting the prisons, it would resist any attempt at releasing known criminals in the Port Harcourt prisons.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr. Chuma Chinye said they were in Government House to seek the state government’s co-operation on prisons decongestion, adding that the committee would like to liaise with the State Attorney-General, the judiciary and all organisations of government involved in justice dispensation.

Mr. Chinye who is the Special Adviser to the Attorney-General of the Federation said they would collect the lists of prison inmates who were accused of criminal or civil offences without trial, those accused of minor offences but unable to procure the services of lawyers to handle their cases and those in the prisons who were required to pay fines but could not afford the fines.