Nine inmates and two staff members of the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre havegraduated from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
The inmates were the fifth set of graduands from the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre. Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof Olufemi Peters, represented by the Director of the Port Harcourt Study Centre, Dr Nancy Chukwuma, congratulated the graduating inmates for distinguishing themselves by showcasing their capabilities.
Peters, while commending the Nigerian Correctional Service for the cooperation that has led to improved successes in their partnership with the university over the years, urged the inmates not to be discouraged but to remain focused on achieving their life goals.
He said the purpose of partnering with the correctional centre is to ensure that opportunities are provided for those who want to develop themselves.
The Controller General of the Service, Haliru Nababa, congratulated them for working hard and remaining focused in their quest to achieve their dream of acquiring quality education.
Nababa, who spoke through the Controller of Corrections, Rivers State Command, Felix Lawrence, said the partnership between NOUN and the Correctional Service in the last decade has been fruitful.
He said: “As a Service, we celebrate yet another milestone in our statutory call to reform and better the lives of those put in our care. One of the best things that have happened to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and indeed Nigeria as a whole is our fruitful partnership with NOUN.
“It is gratifying to note that since 2012, this fruitful partnership has continued to produce quality graduate inmates across the various special study centres with the number significantly increasing from 24 in 2021 to 65 in the current edition.
“This has appreciably raised the bar, as far as reformatory activities for those behind bars are concerned. Inmates now have a golden opportunity to pursue their educational aspirations while in incarceration, thereby gaining the time, rather than losing it,” Lawrence added.
He assured that the Service would not relent in providing a conducive environment for proper reformation of inmates, which includes unrestricted access to quality education.
