Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has called for a speedy investigation of suspects arrested for crimes and for them to go through an unimpeded legal process to ensure they do not remain unduly in correctional centers on the awaiting trial list.
He said this will place more demand on the Nigeria Police Force and the Judiciary to rise to the challenge of ensuring that their institutions function effectively, ultimately achieving the desired goals of decongesting correctional centers and dispensing justice.
Governor Fubara insisted that such an approach will significantly contribute to solving the issue of overcrowded correctional centers with awaiting trial inmates across the country, including the financial burden required for their upkeep.
The Governor made this call when he received the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions, led by its Chairman, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Port Harcourt on Monday.
The Governor said, “I know that the State Government, from time to time, through the Chief Judge, has visited the Correctional Centers. After evaluation, I have seen a few letters he has written about what he saw on his visit. Having confirmed and assessed a few of the inmates, he granted them either bail or pardon.
“But this issue goes back to one major thing: the institutions we call the Police Force and the Judiciary. Most of the issues we are discussing, such as the overcrowding of Correctional Centers, might be due to delays in the trial of their cases. That is the truth.
“Another aspect is that you arrest somebody wrongfully or whatever, and the investigation process takes two, three, or four years. So, we need to make sure that our institutions are functioning effectively.
“And if they are functioning effectively, I strongly believe that most of these issues of overcrowding in Correctional Centers won’t exist.”
Governor Fubara continued, “But this is where we are, and we will continue to encourage our system to do better. Maybe, if we had made these complaints earlier, some corrections would have been made.
“So, now that we are saying it, I believe they are hearing and will expedite action to ensure some of these issues are addressed.”
The Governor said his administration is focused on the needs of Rivers people, adding that while addressing those needs, it is also mindful of the importance of properly integrating ex-convicts into society.
Governor Fubara, however, advised, “We also need to ensure proper evaluations are done to ensure that we are not endangering our people.
“It is not just to say we need to reintegrate them. We also need to do the proper thing to make sure that when they leave the centers, they can fit into society.
“I think even in the Correctional Centers, they have vocational activities there. Some of them have the opportunity of running academic programs online.
“So, first of all, they should also show this commitment that they want to change, that they want to be part of the system, coming back to society, and we as a government will do all we can to make it possible.”
The Governor expressed delight that issues of the correctional centers attracted the attention of the National Assembly, which means that the government is alive and up to its responsibility.
Governor Fubara also thanked members of the committee for the visit and acknowledged the modest achievements of his administration so far, particularly in reducing crime in the State compared to what was inherited.
He said, “It goes to say just one thing: we know what the problem is, and we are tackling the problem from the root cause.
“What is the problem associated with crime: unemployment, insecurity. This insecurity is economic insecurity and that is what causes crime.
“It is a global issue, but as a State, we will continue to do our best to see to it that our youths are engaged meaningfully and discouraged from associating with anything that will bring a bad image to our State.”
Governor Fubara explained that his administration has continued to support the Controller of the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre with a monthly subvention to assist in the day-to-day running of his office as well as other levels of assistance.
The Governor noted that most of the correctional centers were built over 80 years ago when nobody envisaged that the number of inmates would increase astronomically as witnessed now.
But he said that what the Federal Government is doing in the State by building new facilities to house inmates and the plan to relocate correctional centers in the city center will be something to support.
“I will mandate the Secretary to the State Government to go and assess what is going on there, and liaise with the appropriate authorities and see where we can come in to complete it so that this issue of having these Correctional Centers in the center of the city, which is not a good idea, can be solved once and for all.”
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Governor Fubara charged the committee to play its part effectively by making the requisite laws and securing the legislative backing that can eventually correct the mistakes that have been noticed.
He explained, “It shouldn’t be something we just put in our Constitution. It should be given all the strength of implementation or execution of those laws. So, you should help us do it right, and we will take it from there on the part of execution, which is the duty of the Executive.”
Speaking further, Governor Fubara said, “Let me thank you, more especially for coming to see us. Let me, on behalf of the Government and the good people of Rivers State, assure you that you have not made any mistake.
“You have done the right thing, and you have taken the right step. I believe that by the end of your visit, you are going to come up with recommendations that will help us solve some of these problems.
“But in all, we all have to put hands together to support this administration of our President. Nigeria is a very big and complex society; different ideologies, multi-cultural beliefs, social differences, but we are all here as one because of the flag of Nigeria.
“So, what we need to do is ensure that we work as one, on one common interest, to sustain this entity called Nigeria. If Nigeria succeeds, we all succeed. And Nigeria will only succeed when we support the President.
“If Nigeria fails, everybody fails. The sub-nationals, like Rivers State, and any other state, will also fail. You can’t succeed just as a state. Your success must be extended to the center,” he added.
In his speech, the leader of the delegation and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, explained that they are in Rivers State to oversee all the Correctional Institutions domiciled in the State.
Hon. Ogah noted the gross neglect that the Correctional Service has suffered in the country, particularly in the aspect of security.
He listed four Correctional Service centers in Rivers State, including Port Harcourt, Ahoada, Degema, and the Farm Settlement; each housing about 4,000 inmates, adding that 91 percent of such inmates are awaiting trial.
Hon. Ogah said, “And most of these people are not yet convicted, and some of them are not being justified for what the case is all about. And the major issue, the negligence aspect of the security, is that they don’t care how to reintegrate, reform, and bring them back into society so they do not indulge in crime.
“If we really look into it, we find that the only way we can ensure the security of lives and property in this country is by making sure that those we feel have already committed crimes are reformed and reintegrated into society by giving them skills and opportunities so that they can have something to sustain themselves and not go back to crime.
“And Your Excellency, from our records, we found that since your assumption of office, there has been a reduction in the crime rate in Rivers State because of what you have done by empowering the youths economically in all the local governments and wards by giving them a sense of belonging too. We have to commend you for that.”
Hon. Ogah continued, “Rivers State is one of the places where the construction of a 3,000-capacity center is ongoing in Bori, and this construction has reached up to 60 percent.
“But Your Excellency, you know the truth: the Federal Government cannot do it alone, and as a Governor who knows the problems of the people, that is the essence of our visit to you, to partner with the Committee on Reformatory Institutions to see what we can do together to relocate that correctional service center.”
He, therefore, solicited the support of the State Government to make the initiative of the Federal Government succeed for the peace and development of Rivers State and Nigeria.