Enugu Maximum Security Prison has been witnessing streaks of academic exploits by inmates in recent time. Just last week, a total of 81 inmates of the Prison recorded credit in English Language and Mathematics in the just released November/ December, 2007 National Examination Council (NECO) examinations. The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the prisons, Monday Chukwu Emeka, an Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP), gave out the information to journalists in Enugu.

Emeka quoted the Desk Officer in charge of After-care Unit, CSP Kelvin Iloafonsi, as reporting that over 80 per cent of about 81 inmates, who sat for the Examination made credits in Mathematics and English Language and at least, five credit passes each.

He said that the Controller of Prisons Enugu State Command, Mr. Ndubuisi Ogbodo, commended the inmates’ performance and encouraged other inmates to utilize the opportunity to improve their educational status by enrolling into the educational programmes while in custody.

The state controller also applauded the Controller General of Prisons, Alhaji Ja’afaru Ahmed, for providing the enabling environment for education to thrive in the prisons. He said the opportunity has greatly improved the lives and welfare of both staff and inmates and thanked NECO and Enugu State Government for their support to the centre. Some months before the release of the NECO result, an Enugu Prison inmate emerged overall best graduate of National Open University of Nigeria NOUN for 2017.

An inmate, Nomeh Chukwununso Michael reportedly emerged the overall best Post-graduate graduating student of NOUN’s prisons special study centres nationwide. Nomeh, who is a convicted inmate, sentenced in 2010 gained admission to study Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and graduated with a cumulative grade point of 3.80.

Meanwhile, the Desk Officer of Enugu study centre, CSP Kelvin Iloafonsi, said two other inmates also graduated from the NOUN post graduate school out of which one of the inmates has since been released. It would also be recalled that one former awaiting trial inmate of the same Centre, Theophilus Okey Adenyi, emerged the overall best graduating student in 2014 while in incarceration and currently pursuing his PhD (out of prison) in one of the universities in Nigeria. CP. Ndubuisi Ogbodo, the Controller Enugu State command, encouraged more inmates to enrol into NOUN and embrace the transformation mantra of the CGP Ja’afaru Ahmed, which focuses on training and retraining of both staff and inmates.

The CP also called on the public to accept ex-convicts as reformed and responsible members of the society. He further stressed that their continuous rejection would only lead them back to crime. It is noteworthy that as at the last count in July 2017, there are 179 inmates on death row in Enugu prisons, according to prison sources.

The total number of other inmates in the Enugu Maximum prison stands at 2,049, as against the 638 capacity prison established in 1915. There are also Nsukka prisons built in 1926 and Oji River Prisons, established in 1992; as well as Ibite Olo Farm Centre, built in 1975; all housing more than their capacities. With this number of inmates, it therefore becomes expedient that they are made to acquire education or skills that would help reform and make them useful members of the society when they are released from prison.

Speaking on prison education system as a veritable reformatory programme ever envisaged, the Desk Officer in charge of After-care Unit, CSP Kelvin Iloafonsi, told our reporter in an exclusive interview that it was necessary for government to consolidate and expand the programme. On the operations of NOUN in the prison, Iloafonsi said that NOUN runs a flexible programme, whereby inmates can either be tutored by a facilitator; they can download materials online, and as well study on their own.

“You must not attend classes. In our own case, we engage private facilitators, because it’s the policy of NOUN that once you are not up to 50 in a department, you don’t deserve facilitation. But if you are less than that, you have to engage a private tutor for that which we have been doing for some years now. “In the law area, we engage the services of legal aids unit; they come here free of charge.

They are powered by Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), an NGO owned by Dr. Uju Agomuo. Legal aids in the sense that inmates who are handicapped they can take you to court, handle your case for you. But in terms of academics, they come here to teach the inmates,” he said.

The Desk Officer said that the prison authority also hire the services of brilliant corps members, noting that in the last batch that passed out, they hired about 19 corps members, who did wonderfully well. They also hire private lecturers as well, some of whom are on voluntary services, while some collect stipends. “We get sponsorship from NGOs and NOUN. It’s a tuition free programme though.

They don’t pay school fees. NGOs like Isaac Nelson Foundation, CAPIO (Catholic Prisoners Interest Organisation). “We started this study centre July 2011 with 12 students but today we have 117 students,” he said. He said that some inmates have psychological problem which tend to dampen their interest in joining the programme because of their various cases. Some of them, according to him, have stayed 20 years. “Some people will tell you that they are thinking of their case, they are not interested in academics. When they leave the place, they will study outside.

We have over 2,000 inmates.” He said that one good thing is that once an inmate secures the admission, he or she can still be coming for lectures even after being released from prison. As for the benefits of the educational programme, he said: “One is that an average NOUN student here is always free from crime inside the prisons because they are engaged in academic activities.

Conveyed by: New Telegraph