The Nigeria Security and Justice Adviser, West Africa Conflict and
Security Team (CSSF), Katrina Aitken-Laird has charged members of the Prison
Media Network (PERMNET) to focus on the plight of prisoners by generating
actions to ensure that imprisonment does not translate to a last chapter closed
on the fortunes of inmates.
She made the appeal at the monthly meeting of PERMNET members held
in Abuja.
Katrina noted that objective information about the Nigerian Prisons
Service will certainly shape public opinion and guide policy makers towards
evolving a sense of collective responsibility for better prison system. Media
component is particularly important because prison institutions are key to
socio-economic development of any nation she further stated.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in sponsoring Justice
Sector Reform (JSR), recognised the invaluable role of the Prisons in
perfecting justice process hence the need to accommodate the NPS in JSR
programme.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS),
DCP Francis Enobore who spoke on behalf of the Controller General of Prisons,
Ja'afaru Ahmed, commended the sponsors and PERMNET members for their support
and objective reportage noting that prison connotes an environment where offenders
are given opportunity and assistance to show penitence.
Francis added that: “Anything and everything about the prison should
sermonize re-socialisation and changing 'the undesirable' to 'the desirable'
thus requiring interventions that reflect this ideal.”
Also speaking at the occasion, Dr. Uju Agomoh, former Executive
Director of Prisoners' Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) encouraged
members to generate forward looking issues that are rich, purposeful, focused
and factual in order to attract needed attention from stakeholders.
She noted that the re-entry process of prisoners back into the
society should be of paramount concern hence the need for humane custody and
quick justice delivery.
No comments:
Post a Comment