Last Wednesday, stakeholders in the criminal justice sector met in Abuja with a charge on the federal government to provide a prison service that meets international best practices. AMEH EJEKWONYILO reports
The call on the federal government to live up to its responsibility of providing an efficient prisons service that would serve as true correctional cenres in the country was triggered by the appeal for assistance from international development partners who had graced the kick start of a long term capacity building strategy for the Nigeria Prison Service.
The Controller General of Prisons, Dr. Peter Ekpendu who convened the meeting, had earlier solicited for technical and financial supports from development partners, adding that government alone could not adequately fund an efficient prison system.
However, in what became a reminder to the government not to abdicate its constitutional role of providing an effective and efficient prison system to the people, a representative of a non-governmental organisation, Justice for All, which is also development partner in the criminal justice sector, Mr. Godwin Odo, reminded the country’s leadership of its constitutional mandate to run a prison service that meets international best practices instead of waiting for foreign donours to provide the needed resources for a functional prison system.
Odo said the roles of development partners in the criminal justice sector could not replace the paramount role that the government was needed to play.
“We can never take the role of Nigerian government.
“The only thing we can do is to share best practices and support pilot initiatives for them to be replicated on a wider scale to the benefit of all in the country.”
He further noted that his organisation, Justice for All, could offer assistance towards providing prisons reforms, but that the bulk of the responsibility lied with the nation’s leadership.
Odo who said his organisation’s aim was to promote access to justice, safety and security for all Nigerian, however, noted that to be able to address the challenges facing justice sector administration in Nigeria, “it is important that all agencies involved in justice administration work effectively and collaboratively.”
Problems of Justice Sector in Nigeria
In looking at the sectoral challenges that hamper effective criminal justice delivery in the country, Odo bemoaned the “blame game” that exists among investigating and prosecution agencies of government.
He recalled: “In 2001 at a programme on justice sector reforms organised for the police, Ministry of Justice and prisons personnel, they traded blame from agency to the other.
“The representative of the police lamented the absence of resources and logistics which they need to perform effectively.
“When the representative of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) got up, he decried that in most cases their prosecution failed because the police did a very shoddy job in terms of investigation, and that was why they were not able to sustain charges against accused persons in court.
“They also lamented that in the courts where the cases are pending; there had been incessant adjournment and as such witnesses get disillusioned and stop attending proceedings, that way you cannot secure convictions.”
For the prisons service, its representative had said: “When other agencies in the sector fail in their responsibilities, the prisons become the receptacle where awaiting trial inmates are dumped.”
Odo further narrated that it was buck passing and shifting of responsibilities as to who was to be held responsible for the key challenges facing criminal justice administration in the country.
“When you look back at 2001 and 2015, the same challenges continue to plague the justice sector in Nigeria”, Odo declared.
He enjoined the government to develop the political will to deal the challenges.
“We can only offer our help, but the bulk of the work lies on the leadership and hierarchy of the Nigeria Prisons Service, to ensure that the strategic plan of building the capacity of prison personnel is implemented with the support of some development partners.”
Similarly, the Executive Director, Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Dr.
Uju Agomoh, urged government agencies to key into the project of building the capacity of Nigeria Prisons Service.
Way forward
“We need a whole government approach; Ministries of Health, Education, Youths and Agriculture. Every agency should not look at prisons as being there. Prisoners and prisons officers are a part of the community.
“They come in and go, and we need to invest in them.
“We need to see prisons and correctional service as a sector that is worth supporting.
“I don’t think we are doing that enough in Nigeria”, she said.
“We need legislators look into how to ensure that proper budgeting is done that the rights of prisoners addressed, and that the rights and welfare of prison officers are also addressed.”
Agomoh disclosed that the expectations of the programme would be a comprehensive strategy that would develop a platform for coordination among stakeholders.
The programme tagged: “National Retreat on the Development of the Nigeria Prison Service Training and Capacity Building Strategic Plan, 2015-2020, representatives of international development partners.
Ekpendu disclosed that the purpose of the workshop was “to develop effective, sustainable and comprehensive strategy aimed at promoting enhanced capacity and skills of the Nigeria Prison Service towards achieving international best practices on prisons and. Correctional services/management.”
He further said the service had recently carried out a promotion exercise that cut across all the Cadre of its personnel as a way of improving staff welfare, adding that more of such similar welfare efforts would be done as soon as vacancies exist.
The prisons boss noted the role of prisons and correctional services in the promotion of justice, security and development in any country cannot be over emphasized, adding that “there is need for effective planning, coordination and synergy building to enable us maximize impact and ensure cost effective, holistic and sustainable approach.”
He thanked development partners and non-governmental organizations for their track record of promoting prisons reforms in the country and within the African region in last two decades.
The workshop was tagged: “National Retreat on the Development of the Nigeria Prisons Service Training and Capacity Building Strategic Plan, 2015-2020.
