President Muhamadu Buhari has sacked the Sole Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Effiong Akwa.
No reason was given for the removal of the NDDC boss.
In a statement by the Director of Press, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Patricia Deworitshe, the President also announced the constitution of a new management team and Governing Board of the NDDC.
According to the statement, the Board nominees will be announced later.
The Nation/Olaolu Fawole
Àarẹ Muhammadu Buhari ti fèsì lórí ìwádi owó tó tó ogójì billiọnu naira tí àjọ tó wà fún ìdàgbàsókè agbègbè Niger Delta NDDC, èyítí ó ti ńfa awuyewuye láàrin ilé ìgbìmọ̀ asòfin àpapọ̀ àti àwọn adelé alásẹ àjọ náà.
Àarẹ Buhari ti wá pàsẹ kí isẹ́ ìwádi tó yá ní kọ́nmọ́kánmọ́ ó bẹ̀rẹ̀ lórí isẹ́ àwọn ìgbìmọ̀ alásẹ àjọ náà.
Ó ní ó yẹkí ìgbésẹ̀ tó gúnmọ́ wà láàrin àwọn agbófinró, àwọn àjọ tó ńse ìwádi àti ilé ìgbìmọ̀ asòfin àpapọ̀ láti léè tètè mọ àwọn ìsòro tó ńdí ìsowó síse ìgbìmọ̀ náà lọ́wọ́ àti àwọn oun tí ó ńdí ìlọsíwájú agbègbè Niger Delta lọ́wọ́.
Àarẹ Buhari ẹnití ó jẹ́jẹ láti fìyà tó tọ́ jẹ ẹnikẹ́ni tí aje ìwà ìbàjẹ́ á sí mọ́ lórí, wá jẹ́jẹ ìpinu rẹ̀ làti túsu désàlẹ̀ ìkòkò lórí ọ̀rọ̀ tó ńjà rànyìrànyí ọ̀ún.
Yẹmisi Dada
Ìgbìmọ̀ tẹkótó ilé tó ńrísí idàgbàsókè ẹkùn Niger Dẹlta, NDDC, ti kanpá fún ọ̀gá àgbà bánki àpapọ̀ ilẹ̀ yíì Godwin Emefiele láti farahàn níwájú ilé.
Alága, ìgbìmọ̀ ọ̀hún, ọ̀gbẹ́ni Nicholas Ossai, sọ fáwọn oníròyìn nílu Abuja, wípé àwọn ti gba àkọsílẹ̀ láti ilésẹ́ bánki àpapọ̀ lórí àwọn isẹ́ àkànse lẹ́kùn Niger Delta tótijẹ́ pípatì .
Ó sàlàyé pé, ọ́gbẹ́ni Emefiele àti ìgbìmọ̀ tó ńrísí ìdàgbàsókè ẹkùn Niger Dẹlta gbọ́dọ̀ farahàn níwájú ìgbìmọ̀ ilé ọ̀hún.
Ìgbímọ̀ tẹkótó ilé tún sàtúnpe ọ̀gbẹ́ni Emefiele lẹ́yìn tó kọ̀ láti farahàn níwájú ilé lákokò tí wọ́n se ìwádi lọ́jọ́ ìsẹ́gun tókọjá.
Kẹmi Ogunkọla
President Muhammadu Buhari recently signed into lawthe Nigerian Correctional Service Bill.
The act changes the name of the Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS, to Nigerian Correctional Service.
Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang noted that the Nigeria Correctional Service is made up of two faculties, the custodial and non-custodial service.
The non-custodial service was intended to be a place of reformation and that the person sentenced under this will not stay in custody but will have remediation.
The presidential aide noted that the non-custodial faculty of the correctional service is responsible for the administration of non-custodial measures, in form of community service, probation, parole, restorative justice measures and such other measures as a court of competent jurisdiction may order.
He disclosed that the restorative justice measure approved in the act includes victim-offender mediation, family group conferencing, community mediation and other conciliatory measures as may be deemed necessary pretrial, trial during imprisonment or even post-imprisonment stages.
The bill was first presented and read in the senate in January 2008 by a former senator and current chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Victor Ndoma-Egba, in the sixth assembly.
Mr. Ndoma-Egba said the bill was aimed at addressing fundamental lapses inherent in the Prisons Act and a review of the act was necessary to put in place a framework for the rehabilitation and transformation of inmates and address the issue of inadequate funding of prisons.
The act is expected to reduce congestion of prisons across the nation.
Though, some analysts have described the move as putting the “cart before the horse” saying the bill on the total reform of the Nigerian Prison, which would see to proper reorganisation and rearrangement should have been signed.
They emphasised that the present state of prisons all over the country urgently requires quick intervention and attention from the government beyond change in name.
On the whole, it must be emphasised that the neglect on the part of government, coupled with high level corruption among prison officials have rendered prisons across the country ineffective to correct social vices and to a large extent constitute serious danger to the society.
Instead of rehabilitating offenders and reintegrating them into the society for better living the reverse is the case.
It is imperative therefore that the federal government set up a virile committee, which should comprise of professionals and experts who understand modern prison arrangement.
Also, urgent infrastructural intervention is needed in all the prison across the country for the purpose of de-congestion, and provision of comprehensive vocational programmes to empower inmates and prepare them for life after prison should be prioritised.
Most importantly, social engagement in the area of skills acquisition and robust reorientation programmes would go a long way to reintegrate inmates back into the society.
Titilayo Kupoliyi
