Tinubu approves recruitment of more senior health officers

From Isaac Anumihe and Ezekwesiri Olileanya, Abuja

Following the dearth of health workers in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), the Federal Government has approved the recruitment of more senior health officers in the ongoing recruitment.

Speaking at the ongoing Independent Investigative Panel on the Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, Cruel, Inhumane and Degrading Treatment Against the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, also called on the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), to supply more psychologists and psychiatrists to the NCoS to enable them function more effectively.  Ajani also called on the service to collaborate with drug manufacturers, to supply drugs to the system.  “You need a collaboration with drug manufacturers. Build the bridges and empower the people that will take up from you,” she said

On the Kano facility that has remained unused for eight years, the permanent secretary directed the service to go back to do a comprehensive evaluation of Kano Custodial Centre that was built and abandoned eight years ago because of door handles.

Meanwhile, Deputy Controller General (inmates training and productivity), Ibrahim Idris, flayed the society’s attitude to ex-prisoners, a situation that makes them want to remain in the custody even after they had served out their terms.

“However, experiences over the years have shown that once inmates are in custody, some families disown and disassociate with them as a result of stigmatisation. The NCoS is often presented with wrong information from the inmates regarding their families. Therefore, the service has numerous challenges in accessing the families of inmates due to wrong information, addresses and lack of logistics for welfare officers.

He sought for collaboration with the nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to provide legal education and emotional support to families of inmates.

The correctional facilities, he noted, were old and dilapidated buildings. Most of them are overcrowded. “As a result of these, the sanitation and general living conditions leave less to be desired,” he said.