Metro
Prison to Correctional: New Wine in Old Wineskin
By Eric Elezuo
After 11 years of back and forth, President Muhammadu Buhari finally signed into law the Nigerian Correctional Service Bill. The bill, which was originally proposed in 2008 by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, who is presently the Chairman, Niger Delta development Commission (NDDC), had been rejected on many occasions, no thanks to constitutional technicalities.
In April 2019, Buhari had declined to sign the bill after lawmakers first passed and sent it to him, claiming that the bill violated Sections 81 and 84 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the independence of the judiciary. it was however, amended in May and re-presented.
Paramount on the list of achievements of the bill is the fact that it changed the name of the Nigerian Prisons service to Nigerian correctional Service. Pure nomenclature!
Among other qualities, the law empowers the State Comptroller of Prisons to reject additional prisoners where the prison in question is already filled to capacity as well as divides the Correctional Service into two main areas vis a vis The Custodial Service and Non-custodial Service.
While the Custodial Service will, among other things, take control of persons legally interned in safe, secure and humane conditions and provide support to facilitate the speedy disposal of cases of persons awaiting trial, the Non-custodial Service will be responsible for the administration of non-custodial measures like community service, probation, parole, restorative justice measures and such other measures as a court of competent jurisdiction may order.
Like before, the law will seek to focus on correction and promote reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders and provides of the Controller-General as the administrative head, to be assisted by a minimum of eight Deputy Controller-Generals.
Again, it is believed that the Service must initiate behaviour modification in inmates through the provision of medical, psychological, spiritual and counselling services for all offenders including violent extremists. The law also states that where an inmate sentenced to death has exhausted all legal procedures for appeal and a period of 10 years has elapsed without the execution of the sentence, the Chief Judge may revert the death sentence to life imprisonment.
A cursory look at the provision of the new law adequately balances with the former. One would have expected that thorough welfare of prisoners will be made a priority because that forms the basis of down to earth reformation. More so, the prison facilities across the federation are in sorry state just as the welfare of officers tending criminals. This has formed the bedrock of warders colluding with criminals to perpetrate more atrocities even while in incarceration.
While we applaud the efforts of the Federal Government and the lawmakers, it is worthy of note that old wine cannot thrive in new wineskin neither could new wine thrive in old wineskin. A name change is not all that the prisons across the nation require.
Consider how many times the name of Nigeria’s electricity system has been changed…from National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) to Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and now to Distribution and Generating companies (DISCOs and GENCOs), yet no tangible improvement has been recorded.
The FG must go beyond name change in addressing the Nigeria’s perennial issues.
Abuja, the nation’s federal capital, came alive with joy and excitement on Wednesday as a new set of winners in the ongoing Globacom Festival of Joy promotion received mouth-watering prizes they won at a special presentation ceremony held at the premises of Globacom at Aminu Kano Crescent.
A glittering brand new Toyota Prado, a brand new Kia Picanto, tricycles (Keke Napep) and scores of other prizes including power generating sets, sewing machines and grinding machines were handed over to joyful winners.
Sarah Ilya Madu was presented the keys to her brand-new Toyota Prado by Senator Simon Lalong, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth Development, supported by a stellar cast of celebrities and influencers.
Sarah, a federal civil servant from Borno State, who emerged winner of the Toyota Prado in the draw of the promotion held in Abuja last Friday, expressed shock when she was called up. She dropped the call from Globacom several times because the news was too good to be believed.
She said, “I was prevailed upon by my colleagues to do a video call with the Glo staff who called me. Even when I saw the office environment, I was still doubtful.” She added that when she eventually agreed to visit the Glo office, she went with a hefty colleague just in case she was being set up.
Ufot Victor, a 43-year-old businessman based in the FCT, was expectant about winning as he had been recharging regularly so as to cross the minimum requirement for a car. Winning a brand new Kia Picanto was a huge reward for his dedication.
Other lucky winners also went home with tricycles (Keke), power generating sets, sewing machines and grinding machines. Ireimiya Mallo, a SIM registration agent and native of Nasarawa State, who won Keke, said, ”I was so joyful on learning I had won a Keke”. He disclosed that he would be deploying it for commercial purpose”, while the winner of a power generating set, Felix Gabriel, thanked Globacom for always remembering Nigerians every year in its annual promos.
The Special Guest, Senator Simon Lalong, praised the Chairman of Globacom for putting the promo in place for Nigerians and also extolled his strong support for sports. He said he would love to be a winner in the Glo promo one day soon. Also Senator Yemi Adaramodu, the spokesman of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth Development, said Globacom has always been a brand after his heart, adding that the network is not just attracting customers but also giving out to show that it means well not only for the customers but also for Nigerians.
In his remarks at the event, Globacom’s Head of Division, North West, Mr. Kazeem Kaka, said that to participate in the Festival of Joy promo, new and existing subscribers should dial *611# so as to opt into the promo and to keep recharging thereafter to meet the threshold for the various prizes. He added that new subscribers can participate immediately by purchasing a new SIM, registering it and dialing *611#.
Guests at the event included representatives of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Mariam Imam, Assistant Director, Consumer Affairs at the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Moses Iyi; comedians, Tee A, Seyi Law, and Gordons.
Others were Nollywood duo of Ebube Nwagbo and Juliet Ibrahim as well as popular content creator, Kiekie.
U.S immigration and border officials will be able to arrest migrants at so-called “sensitive” locations again, after the Trump administration overturned policies limiting where such arrests could happen.
Officers will now be able to make arrests at designated “sensitive” areas, including houses of worship, schools, and hospitals.
Officials have been prohibited from doing this since 2011.
Later, the Biden administration expanded the regulation, further restricting the authority’s powers.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
“The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
A second directive reinstates the ability for the U.S. to quickly deport any undocumented person arrested who is unable to prove they have been in the country for more than two years.
A 23-year-old Turkish OnlyFans model, Azranur AV aka Ezra Vandan, has been arrested by Istanbul police after announcing her plan to engage in sexual activity with 100 men within 24 hours.
Vandan’s social media post, in which she declared her intention to live-stream the act in an attempt to set a national record, was deemed “obscene” and “damaging” to public morals by authorities.
“My goal is to break a Turkish record first, then a world record!” she wrote in the now-viral post.
Her arrest was carried out by the Morality Bureau of the Istanbul Security Branch Directorate at a cosmetic surgery clinic in Atasehir, Istanbul.
