Guardian

WHEN last week I received an invitation to attend a graduation ceremony at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison in Lagos, I couldn’t really figure out what sort of graduation would be taking place inside the prison, more so, as the invitation did not give details. I have heard and written about the detestable condition of our prisons, which defeats the spirit and purpose of the establishment. The prison ought to be more of reformatory than punitive institution.

When the case of those awaiting trial is considered, it becomes more pathetic as justice delayed is justice denied. Not until one is prosecuted and convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction, he or she is presumed innocent. Available figures indicate that about 50,000 persons are in custody in Nigeria out of which some 36,000 are awaiting trial persons. The Kirikiri Maximum Prison alone has a total of 740 inmates.

Several pertinent questions flashed through my mind on account of the invitation extended to me. Could it be that some prison inmates have been released and were now passing out? Could it be inmates who had attended some training course somewhere and were graduating? Even at that, why perform the graduation ceremony inside the prison instead of the school where they were trained? Could it be that government is running a training programme inside the prison? I am aware that there has been this talk about skills acquisition for prisoners over time but the extent to which it is implemented is unclear. Should that be enough reason to hold a graduation ceremony inside the prison?

It was my first time to hear or even witness an occasion where a group of prison inmates, in this case, inside Nigeria’s foremost Kirikiri high security prison, came out radiating with joy to grace their graduation after a highly innovative training programme offered by Joy Bringers Foundation, an NGO working on rehabilitation programmes for inmates. The training is designed to reform, remold and reshape the character and attitude of the inmates for a better life in future.

The event took place on May 31 right inside the Liberty Auditorium of the Kirikiri Prison. On arrival at the venue in company of the Programme Coordinator, Mr. Jude Ememe, we were treated to the usual security checks by the prison officials at the gate. Thereafter, we were let in. The environment was large and airy and betrays the feeling of incarceration. On getting to the auditorium, where the graduation was to take place, I saw a building that has been there over the decades with manifest wear and tear that obviously received no attention.

Gradually, the hall was filled up as the seats were fully occupied. When I saw a certain group of able bodied and bright looking young men in uniform marked Joy Bringers, I thought they were hired from outside to perform at the graduation. But I was mistaken. The young men were actually prison inmates and were the graduates of the Character School. Except one was told, there was little to suggest that they were actually prison inmates based on their appearance. They looked like every other person attending the ceremony. Their radiant countenances showed that they had really passed through a remolding programme that has positively impacted their lives.

A number of dignitaries, including the Deputy Controller of Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Mr. Tinuoye Olamide Timothy, and the Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Comrade Ayodele Adewale, among other officials were in attendance to grace the occasion. While addressing the attendees, Comrade Adewale, who used the opportunity to tour parts of the prison facility, expressed dismay at the poor condition of the hall where the graduation was taking place and wondered why the glasses and window panes that had been damaged were not replaced.

Reiterating that the constitution clearly shared functions between the federal, states and local governments, he said the prisons are part of the responsibility of the Federal Government. He noted that it is on account of the limited resources available to the states and local governments that a new revenue sharing formula is being advocated to give these tiers of government more financial muscle.

Notwithstanding the limited financial resources available to his local government, Comrade Adewale promised to assist the prison authorities by renovating the hall and giving it a face lift. He said engineers from his council would first assess the damages and their cost. Thereafter, actual repair work would commence. He promised to use direct labour from the inmates to do the work of which they would be duly paid. The promise from Adewale was heartening as it showed his concern for the welfare of the inmates.

The occasion was spiced with drama, music, talent display and moving testimonies by the graduates. Twenty-six inmates were awarded certificates. An ex-inmate, who was released from the same Maximum Prison, thrilled his former co-inmates with a captivating testimony of his life in prison and outside the prison. He urged the inmates to embrace good character that would carry them along when eventually they were released, otherwise, they could find themselves back in prison.

The Co-ordinator of the programme, who is also the founder of the Character School, Mr. Jude Ememe was elated that the graduation, which is the first of its kind, took place. He said the biggest challenge facing our nation today is character bankruptcy. He noted that the destructive effects of lack of character in our nation manifest in all sectors of our economy. The indices of character bankruptcy, he observed, show in kidnapping, corruption, impunity, stealing and all types of vices. All these, he said, are manifestations of character failure.

The Character School was founded in 2011 as a non-profit organisation to support the work of the Nigerian Prisons in rehabilitating inmates. The school was first established in Ikoyi Prison, Lagos in 2012. Each batch of inmates is taken through a three-month training that holds twice a week by experts in the field of psychology and character reformation. The training is also extended to the prison staff for better performance of their duties. So far, the school has graduated over 315 inmates who are referred to as Character Ambassadors. According to Mr. Ememe, the school maintains a database of its graduates to assist their re-integration into the society after release.

The need for personality re-charactrisation programme in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasised. This sort of programme is needed not only by prison inmates but by the entire Nigerian public. Making character training part of the school curriculum at all levels will go a long way to help the decadent morals of Nigerians. Government should consider partnering with the Joy Bringers Foundation to extend this programme into the school curriculum, especially at the foundation state. If we should expect to have Nigerians with integrity to major the affairs of the nation in future, then, character re-molding is imperative. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Prison Service, state authorities and relevant NGOs should seek to identify with this programme as a first step towards reforming prison inmates for a better future.