According to source, no fewer than
30 inmates of the Ilesa Prison in Osun State are rounding off their secondary
school studies in readiness for tertiary education later in
2017.
Controller of
Prisons, Osun State Command, Mr. Segun Oluwasemire, gave this hint on Thursday
at a ceremony to receive a refurbished and stocked library for the school
funded by the Alms Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Osogbo branch.
He said that
the command was being proactive in achieving total reformation, rehabilitation
and reintegration of offenders in its custody by preparing them for a world of
opportunities outside the prison walls.
“The 30
inmates are the pioneer students of our Ilesa Prison Secondary School. We hope
that sooner than later, the National Open University will grant us a Special
Study Centre in the state command for a seamless transition of the products of
the secondary school to the university,” the Controller said.
Oluwasemire
ascribed the success of the education initiative of the prison authorities in
Osun State to the support from the Controller General of Prisons, Mr. Ja’afaru
Ahmed, and the intervention by public spirited individuals and organisations
that have provided support to the inmates to advance their studies.
“I
particularly want to recognise the support from the Alms Project Committee of
the Central Bank of Nigeria, Osogbo branch for the upgraded library and to
Princess Hope Foundation which is responsible for the provision of additional
teachers.” he said.
The CBN’s Alms
Project Committee provided books, furniture and other educational materials for
the school library.
Branch
Controller, CBN, Osogbo branch, Alhaji Bashiru Ibrahim, in his remarks, lauded
the prison authorities for their dedication and commitment in carrying out the
prison’s reformation mandate.
He described
the committee’s gesture as service to humanity.
In his
welcoming address, the officer-in-charge, Ilesa Prison, Mr Ope Fatinikun, a
Deputy Controller of Prisons, thanked the Committee for its support.
He said,
“Education is critical to the success of the mandate of the prison service, and
the place of library in providing sound education and creating an enabling
environment for learning cannot be overemphasised.”
Fatinikun
expressed appreciation to the Committee and charged other corporate bodies in
the public and private sectors to join in the task of reforming and
reintegrating offenders.
The Senior
Prefect of the school, Waliu Olasunkanmi, thanked the Committee members and the
prison authorities for giving him and other inmates the opportunity of taking
another shot at education and promised to make good use of the library for a
new life away from crime and other societal ills.
The ceremony
was attended by Chairman Alms Committee, CBN Ososgbo branch, Mr Olukayode
Oluwole and co-ordinator, Princess Hope Foundation, Mr Olabode Opeseyitan.
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