24th October, 2017
Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra has promised to equip the Skills Acquisition Centre in the Onitsha Prison.
“The State Government will also extend health programmes to the prison inmates,’’ Obiano said.
He made the pledge during the 64th birthday celebration of the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Dr Valerian Okeke, which held on Tuesday at the Onitsha Prison with the inmates.
He said the promise followed the appeal by the Comptroller of Nigeria Prisons in the state, Mr Emma Nwakeze.
Nwakeze said that the prison had more than 700 inmates as against its official capacity of 300 occupants.
He also appealed to the government to assist in providing medical assistance to the inmates.
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The governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Joseph Asike, also said that the state government would increase the number of judges and magistrates in the state to facilitate speedy trials of cases.
Archbishop Okeke said prisons were corrective homes and as such, should have the right environment for positive effects and results on inmates.
“We, as a Church, will continue to preach peace and obedience to the rule of law and will continue to put in our little efforts in some basic infrastructure that will help to reform them,” Okeke said.