President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently appointed Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche as the new Acting Controller-General (CG) of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) with effect from December 15, 2024, following the expiration of the tenure of Controller-General Haliru Nababa. Nababa, who has served as the Controller-General of the Service for three years and seven months, officially retired on December 15, 2024, after completing his tenure. We recall that Nababa was appointed CG by former President Muhammadu Buhari on February 18, 2021.
The appointment of Nwakuche was contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the Civil Defence, Immigration, Fire Service and Correctional Service Board (CDCFIB), Ja’afaru Ahmed. The CDCFIB scribe noted that Nwakuche’s appointment was a testament to his wealth of experience on the job and dedication to service.
Similarly, the President has also charged the new CG of NCoS to bring his wealth of experience to bear on the job and ensure the transformation of the service. A native of Oguta in Imo State, the new boss of the Correctional Service was born on November 26, 1966.
There is no doubt that Nwakuche would build on the achievements of his predecessor. At the same time, he is expected to introduce new initiatives that will take the NCoS to a new level.
Prior to his new appointment, Nwakuche was the Deputy Controller General (DCG) in charge of Training and Staff Development Directorate, where he played a crucial role in shaping the training and development policies of the NCoS. He is a member of the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos. He also holds the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
The new CG of the Service is eminently qualified for the job. He brings to service over three decades of experience in the corrections sector. He joined the Nigerian Correctional Service in 1990 as an Assistant Superintendent of Corrections. Since then, he has distinguished himself in the service through his demonstration of outstanding professionalism and dedication to duty. He had a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Calabar, a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Lagos as well as a diploma in French.
While we commend the President for the appointment of Nwakuche as the new Acting CG of NCoS, we congratulate the latter on his well-deserved appointment and urge him to improve on the achievements of his predecessor and take the Service to the anticipated next level. With his wealth of experience in the service, he will holistically reform the Service. He is assuming the leadership of the Service at a time it needs urgent reforms in virtually all sections. However, it is also worth pointing out that recent stories emanating from the NCoS over alleged VIP cells, bribery and unmerited special favours granted some citizens in their custody do not portray the service in good light.
There is need to reposition the Service and make our custodial facilities really correctional and not places where criminals get hardened and even organise crimes while still in detention. He should address the frequent jailbreaks in some of the correctional facilities, including the notorious one at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja. The challenges of the NCoS include corruption in correctional facilities, inhumane treatment of inmates and lack of accommodation and inadequate feeding of inmates. The NCoS will also contend with the challenge of awaiting trial inmates.
The new boss of the NCoS should hit the ground running to address the myriad of challenges facing the correctional facilities. There is need to expand the correctional facilities nationwide to provide habitable cells for the inmates. The nation’s criminal justice system must come up with measures to ensure speedy dispensation of justice of awaiting trial detainees. It is sad that some of them spend more than their prison terms before being convicted or discharged.
Currently, the correctional facilities in Nigeria have a total of 79,237 inmate population. These include 77,535 males and 1,702 females. There are 26,718 convicted inmates, made up of 26,303 males and 415 females. Out of 52,519 awaiting trial inmates, 51,232 are males while 1,287 are females. Therefore, the new CG of the NCoS should liaise with the police and the judiciary to ensure speedy trial of cases of awaiting trial inmates and address other challenges. We wish him a successful tenure.