Moves to decongest Abia prisons underway -CP
* Takes delivery of operational vehicles
By Steve Oko
The Controller of Prisons Abia State, Mr. Julius Ezugwu, has hinted that modalities had been put in place to decongest prisons in the state.
Ezugwu made the disclosure in an interview with our Correspondent yesterday in Umuahia after taking delivery of four operational vehicles from the Prisons Headquarters.
Findings by Wawa News Global revealed that there are about 1,616 awaiting trial prison inmates in Abia.
The CP said the state command was in serious consultations with the state Chief Judge, and the Attorney General who both assured of concrete steps to that effect.
He said that the Chief Judge had already started releasing some inmates in Awaiting Trial custody who committed minor offenses.
On the delivery of operational vehicles to the State Command, Ezugwu showered praises on the Controller General of Prisons Services, CGPS, Ja’afaru Ahmed for the gesture.
Interior of the ambulance
The vehicles according to him will tremendously enhance the efficiency and service delivery of the command.
He noted that the gesture was in line with the policy thrust of the present administration “under our amiable Controller General of Prisons Service (CGPs) JA’AFARU AHMED to change the narrative of the department”.
The vehicles include an Ambulance van with a cutting-edge paramedical facilities , two escort vehicles and the CP’s official car.
According to Ezugwu, the vehicles will help the command in realising its critical mandate which he identified as quality health delivery care system for inmates, and production of inmates at court for trial.
The CP who identified inadequate operational vehicles as a major challenge of the command, noted with delight that the gesture would go a long way to mitigating the problem.
He also lauded the National Command of the NPS for regular supply of drugs to prisons in the state, averring that “there is enough drugs for prison inmates” in the state.
The CP said inmates with health challenges now receive adequate medical care at the prison facilities while critical cases are referred to higher hospitals.
Ezugwu further said the state command “gives priority ” to reformation and capacity building of inmates to make them better members of society upon their discharge.
To this end, he disclosed that a shoe -making factory had already been set up at Aba prisons to train inmates in shoe making for self reliance.
The factory, he added, would soon “take off “, expressing delight it would help in giving a lot of inmates a new beginning.
He also said some inmates were under-going training in tailoring, carpentry, liquid soap making, production of insecticides and fumigants among other vocational trainings.
Ezugwu further said some of the inmates had enrolled in Open University while others had registered for the Senior School Certificate Examination.
Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria. 
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