Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said his government will partner with the Federal Government to construct a world-class correctional centre equipped with facilities for the reformation and rehabilitation of inmates in the state.
The governor made this known when he met Justice Alero Edodo-Eruaga, the chairperson of the Edo State Parole Board, who was escorting members and other management teams on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Benin City.
Obaseki said, “The Edo State Government has acquired a 100-hectare land towards Orhionmwon Local Government Area to build a correctional service to really correct those in prisons as what the Federal Government has now is a prison, not correctional service because it lacks the facilities to truly correct inmates.
“A correctional service should have a full menu of programmes to truly correct inmates and this is lacking. As a state government, we want to build our own and start afresh. We are going to be building it in phases. Emphasis will be on skill acquisition, agricultural farms, a mid-way home, and other facilities that will truly correct and transform the inmates.
“Even in building our own, we like to collaborate with the federal authorities due to their experience and knowledge gathered already. We will do it in a new bill and with a constitutional amendment. We have anticipated it and started working on it. We have our own design and before leaving office, it’s one of the projects we would commence.
“Inmates at our correctional services should be equipped with skills which can be useful to them and create services for the people around them. I see no reason why our inmates can’t produce about 50 per cent of what is consumed in the prisons. For us, we would create the facilities, make the investment, put in the skill and give the inmates the best,” he said.
