How NCoS Recorded No COVID-19 case… Commends Media, Acquires 518 vehicles
I bring you the felicitations of the Controller General of Corrections (CGC), Ja’afaru Ahmed, fcimc, whose tenure in office you all have made remarkable and quite rewarding.
Permit me to on behalf of the CGC, his management team and all the officers and men of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) appreciate you for truly being the gatekeepers of our dear nation. Little wonder, Tom Stoppard said “I still believe if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon”.
Indeed, I dare to say that any institution that undermines the role of the Press is certainly headed for great calamity.
As the focal officer interfacing with members of the press on behalf of the NCoS, I wish to particularly thank you all for your immense support throughout this year, that has culminated in what we can boldly describe as a successful year 2020.
2020 has been a remarkable year though quite challenging. A combination of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the #ENDSARS protest and the general spate of insecurity in the country made the year a bumpy one however, in the words of Les Brown, “the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory”. Today, we can all look back and smile because together, we weathered the storm.
Like previous years, the pragmatic and professional leadership style of the present CGC has produced landmark achievements, in the area of infrastructural upgrade, with a total of 730 completed projects from 2016 till date. Talking about logistics, a total of 518 vehicles have been purchased and distributed since CGC Ja’afaru assumed office.
Other areas of improvement, include the ongoing implementation of the NCoS Act, 2019, inmates training, staff welfare, capacity building, medical-care, etc.
Specifically, the NCoS set an enviable record with the successful containment of the first wave of COVID-19.
Considering the high risk potential of Nigerian Custodial Centres, a lot of fears arose in the height of the pandemic but gladly, the proactive approach of the Service as well as the government, paid off.
The dynamic response of the NCoS is what resulted to the NO COVID-19 case scenario.
Quite significantly also, it is within the year 2020 that the Non-Custodial faculty of the Service actually took a bearing. There were deployments, trainings, other engagements and the actual execution of non-custodial sentences with FCT Command alone, executing over 23,000 sentences.
Surely, we have drawn a lot of lessons from the concluding year and we are already strategizing to consolidate on the gains recorded and also confront emerging challenges. Therefore, we count on you as our ever dependable allies to further place our country rightly on the global map as far as offenders’ management is concerned.
I urge you all to sustain the tempo and remember that the calling of this noble profession of yours, is one that requires the highest sense of commitment and responsibility, lets continue to strive for excellence, Nigeria deserves more.
On behalf of the Controller General of Corrections, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and earnestly pray that God will spare us all to witness a Prosperous New-year 2021.
Augustine Chukwudi Njoku
National PRO
