By Palma Ileye
Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior has sought collaboration with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, UNODC, on provision of skills acquisition for inmates in Nigerian Correctional facilities.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in a press release issued by Afonja Fatai Ajibola, DD, Press and Public Relations Unit of the Ministry made the call during a courtesy visit to his Office by the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crimes, UNODC in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo said that Correctional facilities should be a Center of Reformation of inmates, as indicated by the nomenclature of the facilities adding that the custodian facilities should not be seen as condemnation centres.
He made the passionate appeal and implored the United Nations Agency to always collaborate with the Ministry, by engaging it for any interventions across the services of the Ministry, in order to avoid duplications, which often breeds corruption.
He further allayed the fear of UNODC functionaries in Nigeria of their intervention not being politicised.
The Minister assured the team that he was not one of such politicians, adding that he is not just a politician but a Technopol (Techno Politician).
He assured the visiting UNODC team that as long as he remains the Minister in the Ministry of Interior, their intervention would surely be implemented with the objectives of the projects.
The Interior Minister averred that the President was interested in the country’s development, therefore there would be no room for duplication of responsibility by the agency and the Ministry.
He further cited example of the ongoing reforms in the NIS for passports issuance, he confirmed that “as of this morning about 97,000 passports has been cleared and he assured Nigerians that 24,000 passports would be produced in a day, when the backlogs are cleared.”
The Minister also solicited the support of the organisation on advocacy, reorientation of Nigerians on their mind set about inmates after serving their jail term.
He pleaded for expansion of the collaboration to cover the six Geopolitical Zones in the country.
He promised to inaugurate an inter- sectoral collaboration with Ministry of Justice, Legal Aide’s Council, Judiciary and State Governments for true Federalism in the approach and also for Nigerians to achieve the real Renewed Hope Agenda of President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He thanked the UNODC for their interventions to Nigeria across many sectors, also pointing out that only UNODC goes into the interior of the country and intervenes where it was critically needed to improve the living condition of Nigerians
Earlier during the visit, the UNODC team leader Mr. Oliver Stolpe, congratulated the Minister for his well deserved appointment, saying that they were in the Ministry to see the area of collaboration and equally he enumerated areas the body has intervened.
Dignitaries in attendance were Permanent Secretary Ministry of Interior, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, Directors in the Ministry, Aides to the Minister and team of the delegation.