A Southwest Chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, on Sunday put smiles on the faces of staff and inmates of the Agodi Correctional Centre, Ibadan, as he celebrated his birthday with them.
Ajadi donated food, drinks, and essentials like medicine, detergents, toiletries, and solar lights, among others, to the centre to improve the conditions and well-being of inmates and the staff.
He also gave gifts to the best-behaved male and female inmates and trophies to the winners of the football and table tennis championships sponsored by the Ajadi Foundation.
While also working with the authority of Agodi Correctional Centre to free about seven inmates by paying their fines, Ajadi also promised to help provide a solar panel and an inverter to power the solar borehole at the centre, and a bus for the centre.
Speaking after the donation, Ajadi said he came to the centre to celebrate his birthday just to make the inmates happy and feel the good atmosphere of celebration.
“I started the idea of celebrating my birthday at the correctional centres two years ago at Ibara Correctional Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
“You know we have been celebrating my birthday with large numbers of people, giving them food and drinks, but two years ago I changed that. We started looking at people in the correctional centres, and we believe we should make them happy. I believe they have been separated from their families for one reason or the other. That is what took us to Agodi Correctional Centre this year.
“I know the government alone cannot provide the needs of the people at the correctional centres, and so I have made up my mind that at least once in a year, on my birthday, I will make the inmates happy.
“The correctional centres’ inmates have been abandoned. Nobody gives them recognition. They are the people who need to be celebrated. That is why we started this celebration two years ago at Ibara Correctional Centre.
“Going round the Agodi Correctional Centre in Ibadan today, I am not happy. The condition of the inmates is nothing to write home about. If you see where they are staying, it is not the best. I know the government is trying, but it should do more. We see how people in the correctional centres in developed countries are treated. I plead with the Federal Government to do more for the inmates during the period they will stay in the centres.
“I also want to implore the Federal Government to please recognise those working in such environments like correctional centres and give them better working conditions. I want the government to treat the warders the same way they are treating the police and the military, especially in terms of remuneration.
“The government should improve the facilities in our correctional centres because it is not all the inmates are condemned criminals. We have many people there awaiting trial who have not been pronounced guilty of any offence. At the end of the day, some of these people may not be found guilty of the offences they are remanded.
“I know President Bola Tinubu’s administration is a listening one and will improve the conditions of the correctional centres.
“I also call on well-to-do Nigerians to come to help the government in providing adequate facilities in the correctional centres. They won’t carry money to heaven. They should put smiles on the faces of inmates at least once in a while.”
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