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Henry Udutchay
Since the inauguration of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, expectations have been high over which government agencies or parastatals would stand out as the top performers. And even as the administration enters its second tenure, such expectations have remained constant.
Nigerians far and wide are concerned about infrastructural development and capital projects, and at the same time are agitated by issues of security and internal tranquility.
Many agencies and parastatals have shown their various capacities, but the recent thumbs up coming directly from the Presidency towards the head of the Nigerian Prisons Service, in the form of tenure elongation, could only mean one thing: excellent performance. They say one good turn deserves another, and President Buhari has put his money where his mouth is.
Excellence is not given, it is earned. When an individual is given a task and he exceeds expectations, it is proper for him to be applauded. Perhaps, before this begins to appear like empty praise, a cursory look into what the Nigerian Prisons Service used to be and what it is now will afford vivid understanding.
The Nigerian Prisons has been bereft of any meaningful impact in terms of achievement in the last couple of years. So much so that all hope of revamping it was lost and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. The Prisons was a forgotten case. From terrible infrastructure, poor inmate conditions, uncountable cases of awaiting trial, down to an appalling or non-existent staff welfare structure and many jailbreaks, the Nigerian Prisons was left for dead. Such was the situation that past heads of the Prisons all tried in their rights but found it herculean to change the narrative. But as they say, when there is a will, there is a way.
Ja’afaru Ahmed was appointed as the Comptroller General of Prisons (CGP) in 2016 and he immediately hit the ground running by convening a meeting of all top Prisons commanders to quickly look at the spate of incessant jailbreaks all over the country and put an end to it. This remains a landmark achievement of his reign till date. Worthy of note is that, since Ahmed took office, jailbreaks that bedevilled prisons all over the nation have become a thing of the past.
Not only has he upturned the fortunes of the Nigerian Prisons, CGP Ahmed has expelled the myth that the service is impregnable. The reasons given for his tenure elongation by the President include his track record of innovative reforms in the Prisons Service and the need to consolidate and complete some of the on-going programmes, especially human rights compliance, reformation and health care, and agricultural and educational programmes for inmates.
Ahmed surely has the will and commitment to serve and his first two years were clear proof of that. He went to work immediately and pushed the envelope beyond human conception.
Another assignment he took very seriously was staff welfare. He has successfully turned the Nigerian Prisons into a very attractive government agency, a fact that can easily be cross-checked. An excursion to any of the Nigerian Prisons Service locations is greeted by very warm and professional members of staff. Officers are all looking neat and going about their duties in the most professional manner. Staff welfare is at an all-time high under Ahmed’s watch and this is unmatched by any of his predecessors.
Let us take a look at the infrastructure in the Prisons Service now. Prior to his administration, projects suffered abandonment and many important plans for a facelift or renovation ended just at implementation level. None saw the light of day. But all that changed with the effort of one man.
Many say this is the administration of show-workings, and what the Prisons boss is doing is complete evidence of that. If you are a performer, let your work speak for you. Maybe then you too can be asked to continue. This is not a case of those who are given a second chance to right their wrongs or see if they can do better. Here is a pure example of allowing good work to continue.
There is so much going on in the Prisons now that the best decision is to allow this standout individual continue the good work. This is where an appeal will also be made to the Interior Ministry, under the leadership of the minister, former Governor of Osun State, His Excellency, Dr. Rauf Aregbesola, to ensure that the Prisons is well funded. Because one of the biggest challenges to effectively carrying out and completing many of the important projects has been down to funding issues. It is expected that Aregbesola will make issues of inadequate funding for the Prisons a thing of the past, so as to ensure that the very many projects the Prisons Service has commenced are duly completed.
To whom much is given, much is expected. The CGP is appreciated for what he has done so far and it is expected that he uses this elongation to do more. We can only watch from now on to see how many more layers of goodness CGP Ahmed has in store; not like it was ever in doubt.
•Henry Udutchay
