…28 students begin programmes
From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
National Open University has been established at the correctional service centre, Abakaliki the Ebonyi State capital for the inmates.
The university which was university study centre which was inaugurated by the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service Ndidi Nwakuche, was equipped by a foundation under the Sudan Mission, Netherlands while the building housing the institution, was renovated by the Chairman House of Representatives committee on Reformatory Institutions, Hon. Chinedu Ogah.
Inaugurated the centre at the week, the Comptroller General said the establishment of the university in the correctional centre was an indication that corrections were not about condemning lives but about redeeming them.
He appreciated the Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria for the laudable partnership , which he said align with global best practices and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of prisoners which has recoded remarkable impact across the 14 custodial centres/facilities in the country.
Nwakuche urged the inmates to embrace the opportunity provided for them through the open university and upgrade their educational status, describing education as a tool for liberation, which can reshape their future, restore their dignity and reintegrate them into the society as productive and responsible citizens.
In her remark, the state controller of the correctional centre, Offem Bessie said 28 inmates have enrolled into the university as pioner students
She said 25 were doing their fisrt degree programmes while 3 were pursing their masters degrees, describing the inauguration of the university as opening of new doors of hope, opportunities and transformation.
“The establishment of this study centre within our facility today is a bold step in the right direction. It means that our inmates, while serving their sentences, now have the rare privilege to acquire sound education, gain new skills, and prepare for a better tomorrow”, she stated.