By Onome Oghenetega
A member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. John Aruoture has appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to decongest the overcrowded correctional centres in the state
Aruoture, who is the immediate past Secretary of NBA, Warri Branch, particularly requested the governor to grant pardon to deserving inmates who have been adjudged to have truly repented.
He said the five correctional centres in the state – Agbor, Kwale Ogwashi-Uku, Sapele and Warri – are currently overcrowded and there was need to urgently decongest them.
In an open letter to Governor Okowa on Thursday, the Warri-based legal practitioner said offering clemency to deserving inmates would help not only to decongest the prisons but help the centres function optimally.
“While the Federal Government has embarked on the exercise of granting pardon/clemency to convicts of federal crimes, our beloved Delta State also needs to carry out a similar exercise for convicts of state crimes. This urgent need necessitated this passionate appeal to Your Excellency, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, the Executive Governor of Delta State.
“I appreciate that Your Excellency needs to create a careful balance between ascertaining the befitting inmates of the correctional centers that should be re-integrated into the society and the need to keep the society safe.
“However, there are inmates that have truly repented and others who have spent so much time in the correctional centers and could be said to have duly paid for their crimes. In addition, there are inmates who have become sources of positive influence/role models in many positive ways in the various correctional centers.
“Some of these inmates have become pastors and imams etc. in the correctional center and have dedicated their lives to the service of God and humanity. I humbly opine that such inmates may rightly be given a second chance and a window of opportunity to be re-integrated into the society.
“It is my humble suggestion that when these repentant inmates are released, they should be given a mandate to report to an administrative body for probation for a period of between 6 months to 2 years until they have shown that they have become full responsible members of the society deserving of the new privileges accorded them”, the letter read.
While citing the benefits of the policy, Aruoture said, “Firstly, it would create a favourable impression about the desire/intention of His Excellency to ameliorate the pains of the inmates/convicts that are genuinely repentant.
“Secondly, it would lead to a decongestion of the various correctional centers. It is a notorious fact, derivable from all the prison visits conducted by the various Honourable Chief Judges of Delta State, which I was privileged to attend and witness in my capacity as Secretary of NBA, Warri and as a legal practitioner, that the correctional centers in Delta State are plagued with congestion and over-usage of facilities. There are too many inmates in the five correctional centers in Delta State.
“Third, when released, each of these inmates should be handed over to sureties, that are either responsible and respected clergymen and women or other responsible members of the society, who would also report their findings to the administrative body set up to be probation managers of such inmates.
“Fourth, all such properly integrated inmates would become sources of inspiration and guidance to the youth and members of the society, on the right way to live and the need to avoid all forms of criminal activities.
“Fifth, the Probation Manager would come up with a streamlined program, to run for many years, in different zones of the state. This program would be designed to properly integrate inmates and ensure that such inmates become positive symbols to the youth and impressionable minds.”
