Former Osun governor and interior minister, Rauf Aregbesola inaugurated a 20-bed COVID-19 hospital, associated equipment, and generating facility at the Ilesa Medium Correctional Centre for use by staff, inmates, and courageous outsiders who visit the facility to seek medical attention.
Top Ilesa Metropolis police officers, DSS agents, representatives of the Nigerian Army, political allies, religious leaders, and principal officers of security organizations under the ministry of interior, including Tosin Akinwojulo, Laurel Emmanuel, Abimbola Ogunyemi, Abdulrahman Meyaki, MO Bewaji, and Agboola Sunday, among others, attended the event.
Aregbesola stated that the initiative is a celebration of the Buhari government and a step to prevent reoccurrence by improving health infrastructures to be able to limit if it ever appeared again during his speech at the launching of the 20 bedspace COVID-19 hospital on Tuesday.
The COVID-19 fund provided to the Ministry, according to the interior minister, were utilized to construct hospitals near penal facilities in Kaduna, Oyo, Ilesa, Port-Harcourt, Lokoja, and Kebbi in addition to ongoing rehabilitation in Kirikiri.
Aregbesola said that prisoners’ rights and dignity should not be infringed or stigmatized because they made poor decisions in his speech, which was themed “For justice, safety, and security.”
Prisoners’ rights to excellent and improved medical care are not diminished by incarceration.
One of the country’s oldest prisons is Ilesa Medium Correctional Center. With a 600-inmate capacity, it was founded in 1943. Since there are currently 714 prisoners overall, the system is already overcrowded. The freshly constructed hospital would undoubtedly help, he continued.
Correctional facilities, according to the former governor, are places of repositioning, reformation, rehabilitation, and resuscitation.
Every prisoner’s health is a top priority, and even those who have been sentenced to death should get effective medical care until the end of their days.
Aregbesola pleaded with residents who write letters to him pleading for the release of their friends or relatives to stop doing so because it is obvious that he lacks the authority to release inmates who are under its supervision.
Aregbesola claims that only governors, presidents, and head judges have the authority to release detainees from detention after receiving the proper advice from the committee formed to investigate the situation.
“This administration has addressed the issues with prison overcrowding.” To relieve the congestion in our centers, we started building six facilities throughout six geopolitical zones. A 3000 capacity correctional facility in Iloba is almost finished, and it will offer the amenities needed to reform and rehabilitate prisoners. It is more akin to a correctional hamlet with a court and training facilities. Additionally, construction has started at the closed Olomi correctional facility.
Aregbesola said the prison system has undergone a tremendous and significant shift in the last eight years of Buhari’s government while thanking officials of correctional centers across the nation for their service, management, and leadership.
During those gloomy times, there was no information about any prisoners getting the coronavirus. No prisoner was found to have COVID.
According to him, this demonstrates the exceptional service delivery and professionalism of jail staff members who are aware of their responsibilities.
The interior ministry also disclosed that a bill reclassifying prisons from the exclusive list to the concurrent list had been signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This decision will give states the authority to run their own correctional facilities and oversee the management, welfare, and security of prisoners who broke state laws. This would reduce jail traffic while also enhancing service.
He said, “I have pleaded with correctional principal officers to create a plan that would facilitate the simple transfer of mandates or responsibilities.”
Aregbesola praised the prisoners who performed lovely songs to welcome and praise the work of the interior minister and the Buhari government, but he also encouraged the police and judiciary to solve the issue of delayed prosecution because it is one of the factors contributing to prison overcrowding.
He also urges discipline among correctional facility staff and inmates, arguing that better service delivery will result from the elimination of corruption in the prison system.
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