The Principal of Nigeria Prison Service School, Ikoyi, Mr. Ayodele Obarewo, speaking at the Ikoyi Prison centre of the ongoing 2014 Computer Based Test (CBT) of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has commended the Federal Government for integrating inmates in the education system in the country.

Ikoyi Prison centre is one of the 16 venues hosting JAMB examination, which had over 600,000 applications from candidates that hope to be admitted into Nigeria Universities.

Obarewo was proud to announce that 14 Nigeria Prison inmates sat for the CBT at the prison centre, which is the first time the inmates will be taking the computer based examination.

He said that the government under the current dispensation had shown its commitment in achieving Education for All (EFA), through its various transformation programmes on education.

“I want to commend the Federal Government for creating this platform where inmates are prepared and enrolled for external examinations such as this. Before now, inmates were perceived as never do wells and that nothing good could come out of the Nigerian Prisons”.

“We want to assure the public that a lot of positive things are taking place here in an attempt to reform these persons, with a lot of them showing signs of positive changes. We encourage them here to come to this our school and co-opt their fellow inmates that are better read, to assist in taking them on various subjects”.

“Some of them had written the 2013 Nov/Dec.  GCE organized by WAEC and have made wonderful results and thereafter, we encouraged them to sit for this examination, and hopefully the candidate will perform well in the UTME” he said.

According to Obarewo, the prison has what it takes to train more inmates and produce more graduates.

“Should these students succeed in their examination and wish to continue their education, they will be enrolled in the National Open University of Nigeria where they could get their course materials on-line. “However, do not forget that the prison terms of some of them writing this examination are about to expire so they could also be lucky enough to be released on time to meet up with the admission process,” he said.

He pleaded with members of the public to support their cause by providing volunteer teachers, books and other instructional materials that would assist in educating the inmates adequately.

“You know that education is part of the reformation system and so everything must be put in place in ensuring its maximal benefit. At the end of the whole thing, we can appeal to the judicial arm of government to look into their issues and see how they can be encouraged to pursue their careers”, Obarewo said.

He also mentions some of the challenges facing the candidates, which were inadequate computers, accessories and a bigger generator that will provide power in the school and the prison as a whole.

Also speaking, Mrs. Ngozi Ewuzie, the JAMB supervisor for the centre commended the exercise, describing it as a worthy experience.

She said that accreditation of the inmates commenced at 7.00 a.m., and the examination started at 9.00 a.m.

“You can see for yourself that the conduct is quite peaceful contrary to what people might have expected. The candidates have conducted themselves well, with no case of impersonation recorded. I really look at this development as an innovation because no one can see them as total failures”.

“For government to think along this direction means it is committed to running an all inclusive government and at the end, realize a Nigeria of our dreams,” she said.

One of the inmates that participated in the examination, Oyekan Adewale, 46, said he was committed to contribute his quota in the development of the country having seen the both sides of life.

“I have realized that crime does not do one any good. I have also realised that education still holds the key for a better future for anybody. I intend to study Political Science or be a Public Administrator so that I can be in a better position to impact the coming generation positively, with my experience in life,” he said.