A
two-day International Conference on Nigerian Prisons Reforms ended on
June 5 at REIZ Continental Hotel Abuja. It was packaged and driven by
First Consultancy and Training, a UK-based company.
The
Minister for Interior was there, the Attorney General was represented;
the Crown Agents, the Law Reform Commission impressed all; the Human
Rights Commission and the speakers and all stakeholders present did a
good job.
Discussions
at the well-attended conference exposed the years of shameless neglect
of our Prisons and the huge opportunities for the use of agriculture to
improve the lot of the Prisons. But the Ministry of Agriculture was not
represented.
Their
absence was strongly regretted by participants because Nigerian Prisons
has about 15 large farm areas scattered around the nation, which could
be used for mechanized farming, and also offer opportunities for
poultry, fish, snail and honey bees farming, to name a few. These could
be harnessed to augment the funding and feeding of the Prisons and the
inmates. This was the new idea this conference was bringing on board.
The
National Planning Commission was very ably represented by the Secretary
to the Commission, but the Minister of Agriculture could not find a
Director to send to such an important conference. The 24 points
communiqué at the end of conference posited thus: “The potential
capabilities of the inmates should be explored in the agricultural
sector to boost agricultural and agro-based activities and improved
equipment provided for the prisons.” Who were the participants talking
to when the Ministry concerned with agriculture could not be bothered?
If
this conference were to take place in overseas, they would line up to
attend, with their PAs, collect esta code and all sorts of allowances,
but may not even pay the conference registration fees! The price of
local food stuff has been rising monthly since the past six months and
Mr. President should not be blamed for the rising price of local food
when he has a minster to find solutions to such situation? Can the
ministry find any lasting solution to the food question without
interacting with all the agencies concerned? It was wrong for the
Minister to continue to neglect matters concerning Nigeria Prisons.
Ministries should attend conferences that impact on their core mandate,
especially if private sector driven.
Where
government claims that there is no money, and a private person spends
his own money towards finding solution to a problem confronting
government, it is wrong for that same government or an arm of it, to
shun the same private sector driven action. This is part of why PPPs
often collapse due to lack of commitment and foresight from the
government side; more so, because there are no consequences for such
negligence or incompetence.
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