Tina Amanda
Deputy Controller Correction in charge of Human Resources, DCC Benson Luck has advised the public against stigmatizing inmates who obtained degree certificates while in custody.
DCC Luck gave the advice during an event to present certificates to seven (7) inmates from the Port Harcourt Maximum Custodian Centre who graduated from the National Open University of Nigeria NOUN.
He urged stakeholders to join hands with the NOUN and the Correctional Centre to encourage the academic future of inmates.
“Incarceration is not supposed to deny one the opportunity to be educated, that they are discharged eventually it would have been you and I duty to reintegrate them into the society. For them to have acquired this education there is every tendency that they would not go back.
“I want to urge us to encourage them even within here and outside here so that the education they have acquired will actually be beneficial to you and me”.
On his part, the Deputy Controller of Correction in charge of Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre, Etim Effiong, explained what the centre is doing to ensure every inmate enrols to further their education.
“I want to thank NOUN for bringing University education to a community such as ours, your being here is not a barrier you can be in a facility such as ours and pursue your educational goals to degree level.
“We appreciate NOUN not only have they brought education to us they facilitate, encourage us, but they also provide all the equipment needed for this to be achieved”.
Also, the Registrar of National Open University, Felix Edokan, while presenting the certificates to the seven inmate graduands said two inmates graduated with second class upper and the rest five inmates bagged second class lower.
He appealed to those in incarceration that are yet to pick up the NOUN form to do so, noting that the purpose of getting the university down to the correctional centre is to ensure free opportunities are given to inmates who want to develop themselves in order to make them feel among in the society should they serve their jail term finished.
