Cleric Tasks FG On Prisons Reform

The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, the Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has called on the Federal Government to accelerate the nation’s prisons reform to enhance inmates’ welfare.

Ezeokafor made the call  in Awka last Sunday when he paid a pastoral visit to Awka prison where he confirmed 50 of the inmates and donated a bus to them.

He described the present level of inadequate facilities in the prison as unacceptable, noting that more than 90 per cent of the inmates were still awaiting trial.

The Bishop stressed the need for adoption of measures to facilitate quick dispensation of justice and protect fundamental rights of people.

Ezeokafor explained that the visit was to give a sense of belonging to the inmates and seek speedy reform so that they would be properly integrated into the society when they regain freedom.

“Some criminals are being groomed and nurtured by politicians who use them to promote violence so as to achieve their selfish interests,” he said.

The cleric urged prison workers to regard their work as a vocation that should be carried out with dedication and commitment.

In his remarks, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State pledged that the state government would provide all necessary assistance to improve the conditions of prisons in the state.

Obi asked the management of the prison to engage the inmates in agricultural activities to make them to be productive.

He expressed regrets that some politicians and other privileged persons in the society were exploiting the unemployment situation to expose youths to crime.

The governor urged parents to discourage their children from being used as thugs.