By Kamil Opeyemi
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Saturday inaugurated a modern building of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS ), Zone ‘A’ in Lagos, to address the infrastructure challenges facing the service.
Aregbesola, represented by Mr Shuaib Belgore,,the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Interior, said that infrastructure deficit was one of the major challenges facing the country.
According to him, the challenges were more evident at NCoS.
He, however, said that President Muhammadu Buhari was happy with the transformation of the working environment going on at the correctional service.
“A befitting and conducive work place is motivating and inspiring, as human spirit recognises whatever encourages it,” Aregbesola said.
The minister urged the correctional officers to utilise the structure positively, saying that Federal Government enhanced the facility to boost the workers’ dignity and morale.
“It is my hope that this effort will translate to a higher commitment to service, productivity and industry,” he said.
The minister explained that the main business of the service was to keep the convicts and criminal suspects in safe custody.
He said that a major challenge facing NCoS was congestion of the custodial facilitates.
“The entire national custodial facilities have maximum capacity for 57, 278 inmates.
“But, by the last count earlier in the week, there is a total population of 74, 632 inmates, made up of 72,964 males and 1,668 females.
“There is short of capacity by 22 per cent,” the minister said.
Also, the Controller-General of Corrections (CCC), Mr Haliru Nababa, said at the event that the modern office was one of the development projects the world has been awaiting.
“The importance of providing appropriate and conducive working climate cannot be overemphasised as it is germane for excellent service delivery.
“This trajectory is a clear manifestation of the golden footprints of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari.
“No doubt, NCoS has flourished and transcended to enviable heights, owing to the premium attention the service has received, in form of increased budgetary allocation and several other interventions from the Federal Government,” Nababa said.