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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
As part of its community service, the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), also known as Pyrates Confraternity, has donated musical equipment to the Delta State Command of the Nigeria Correctional Services (NCS).
The donation was made by the Asaba chapter of NAS. Worth about N2 million, the equipment is meant to establish or revive musical bands for the five custodial centres in Warri, Sapele, Kwale, Agbor and Ogwashi-Uku in the state.
The items presented included unit of equaliser; unit of crossover; two units of sound prince height; two units of 400 watts M-audio power amp; and power generating set.
President of Asaba chapter of NAS, Mr. Emeka Okolo, who led other members to present the items to the management of Delta State Command, NCS, said the gesture was part of the community project of the association, which is giving back to the society.
“The whole idea is to make the inmates have a skill and also use it as a source of revenue. Growing up, we used to have prisons bands, the navy band, the army band.
“So we just want the inmates to have something doing, keeping them busy while they are serving their jail terms,” he said.
Okolo advised the inmates to be optimistic while in custodial centres, saying that they should see music and other vocational skills as opportunities to uplift themselves and reintegrate into society.
Receiving the items, the comptroller of NCS in the state, Esezobor Ovie, thanked the donors for the gesture, adding that it would reinvigorate the band unit of the command.
“I remember, last year, when you came to ask what we needed in the command, I requested musical equipment. I thought it was child’s play, but today you have fulfilled that promise.
“On behalf of the Comptoller-General of NCS, I receive these items. These would be used for the staff and inmates of the command,” Ovie said.
Ovie said, before his assumption of office as the comptroller in Delta State, the musical instruments in the five custodial centres were nothing to write home about, adding, however, that the inmates were immensely talented.
“In all the correctional centres, they already have instruments. If you visit any of them and they play music for you, you will be astonished. They have instruments but not this magnitude that you can display when we have occasions. We can use this one when we are invited for any show or gathering,” he said.
According to him, “an evangelist came here uninvited and brought part of this instrument to us, which was not complete,” adding that, since then, nobody has donated to the Delta NCS until the gesture by NAS.
He explained that imprisonment was no longer punitive, noting that the NCS now provides custodial and non-custodial services to ensure the reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates in society.
Ovie said, with the instrument, a band would now be established for the command for entertainment and income generation purposes.
“There was no time we had a band before my arrival here in Delta. I arrived here on December 13, 2019. Music is the soul of life. They say all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. People who have excelled in this country today are musicians and comedians.
“In our custodial centres, we have talented musicians, including the staff. So, we cannot stay without music. We have people like Bob Marley, Peter, Tosh, Ebenezer Obey, Sunny Ade, Victor Uwaifo. Music is a professional course in recognised universities across Nigeria,” he said.
Like Oliver Twist, Ovie asked for more, saying that there were so many things lacking in the state command of the NCS.
“There are so many things we need at the command. The issue of music has been solved. I command five custodial centres in Warri, Ogwashi-Uku, Sapele, Agbor and Kwale. In all these centres, we have people who are interested in education.
“In Warri, we have been able to enroll 22 inmates for GCE. Those who cannot benefit directly from education, we have vocational training in all our facilities.
“We have carpentry workshops, tailoring, hairdressing salons, shoemaking. In Warri now, we want to establish a mini bakery. This is to make sure the goals and vision of NCS are achieved.
“That is why we will continue to appeal to good-spirited individuals, groups and corporate organisations to come to our aid so that, when inmates are released, they would be useful to the society, and will never be tempted to go back to crime,” he added.
