The National Public Relations Officers of the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS) Mr. Francis Enebore, has disclosed that prisoners across the country are now fully engaged in productive ventures while serving their terms.
According to him, while many of them have engaged in large scale commercial farming, no fewer than 430 others are pursuing various degree programmes at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). He added that three others are about to complete their doctorate degree in other universities in the country.
Enebore, who briefed news men in Abuja on the forthcoming Public Presentation of Survey Reports on the Nigerian Prisons on February 1, said the prisoners were allowed to enrol for the University education as part of new reforms being implemented by the Federal Government to make life out of prison meaningful for the ex convicts.
Enebore said that the Open University offered the prisoners opportunity of higher education to make them better citizens of the nation.
According to him, well meaning Nigerians, religious and corporate bodies have been assisting the ex convicts in providing for their educational needs.
The spokesman said that prisoners are now fully engaged in the production of food for themselves and the country in the new farm settlement schemes established in some states of the federation.
He said that at the moment, 17 farm settlements in Kaduna are already producing beans in commercial quantities, whereas Bauchi farms is producing rice and Edo farms are producting palm oil for the prisoners and the nation.
He announced that 22 tractors have been procured by the federal government and distributed to prisons for the used of prisoners across the country to enhance their farming skills in the production of mainly food crops adding that a good number of tractors are also underway for delivery before the year runs out.
He said, at the media briefing with the Executive Director of Prison Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) Dr. Uju Agomoh that 951 others were set free upon meeting conditions for freedom.
He said that fines imposed on the ex-convicts by various courts in the country were offset by the National Stakeholders to pave way for their final release.
Enebore commended the new reform initiative, even as he regretted that the N450 feeding cost per prisoner in a day is grossly inadequate hence, the introduction of the farm settlement schemes.
“In the education sector, I am pleased to announce that 430 of our prisoners are running various degree courses at the National Open University of Nigeria, the new reform efforts allowed them to access university education in order to make life out of prison meaningful for them”.
“In the agriculture, massive revolution is going on with prisoners now engaging in full scale commercial farming. At the moment, we have our farm settlement in Kaduna where the Prisoners have produced huge quantities of beans, in Bauchi where rice had been produced and Edo where our farm settlement is involved in the production of palm oil”.
Meanwhile, the survey report on the Nigerian Prisons would be formally presented to the Nigerian public on February, 1.
The survey is anchored by experts put together by the Prisons Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) as part of reforms to be put forward to the federal government for implementation that will lead to decongestion of the prisons and ensuring adequate welfare for all the inmates. [myad]

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has acknowledged that the first elected Nigeria Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, who died recently, used his words as politician to build rather than destroy Nigeria as a nation.
Professor Osinbajo, who spoke at the Service of Song and Evening of Tribute for the late leader at the International Conference Centre in Abuja today, Monday, described the deceased as one of the most remarkable persons to have served the nation.
Vice President Osinbajo recalled that when late Dr. Ekwueme was asked what his vision was for Nigeria, he said “My vision for Nigeria is that Nigeria should become a nation rather than a country.
“In public discourse, nationally and regionally, as an elder in ECOWAS, even on the most emotive subjects, he spoke truthfully, but maintaining a thoughtful balance, ensuring that his words built rather than destroyed. He worked tirelessly to build and maintain the bridges established across ethnic and religious lines by so many through the years. He never once doubted the validity of one indivisible
Nigeria.”
Osinbaji said that despite being one of the most thoroughly educated persons anywhere in the world, with degrees in Architecture, Philosophy, Sociology and Law, he possessed the profound humility that comes from understanding how much more there was to learn.
“And he demonstrated it by his evident willingness to listen and to learn at all times. As Vice President, he set an excellent example of loyalty, discipline, team spirit and fidelity to the nation.
“He was fearless! Armed with the courage of his convictions, he led the G34, the group of eminent Nigerians who confronted military dictatorship in its darkest and most fearsome days in Nigerian history. Their roles significantly contributed to the return of democracy in 1999.
“Whether it was in spending 20 or more unjustified months in detention after the 1983 coup, or the eventual conclusion that he had not abused his office in anyway, or his principled and fearless leadership in confronting the military dictatorship when it chose to succeed itself, or his principled intervention in many national debates, Dr. Ekwueme epitomized impeccable integrity, courage, and selflessness.
“His values, like himself, remain relevant in every age and time.  Almost a year to the date of his sad passing, he graciously responded to my invitation to join other former Nigerian heads of State and their deputies, to record for broadcast  the hymn “O lord our help in ages past” which we have just seen.
“As a man of depth, he understood the symbolism of leaders of our nation, honouring God as we affirmed that we and our beloved nation owed everything to His grace alone. When he was teased about his voice as he delivered a line of the hymn in Igbo, because there was a lot of teasing and joking that afternoon at Aguda House, he said he was “just warming up.”
Osinbajo recalled that when late Dr. Ekwueme was asked in an interview some years ago how he would want to be remembered, he said: “my music teacher in secondary school said you have to blow your own trumpet because if you don’t, no one will blow it for you until it gets rusty. But I will like to be remembered as someone who came into public office to render service and rendered that service selflessly.”
The Vice President said that Alex Ifeyinchukwu Ekwueme who died as Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, the Ideh of Oko, never had to blow his trumpet and didn’t have to.
“His service to the country and people is the assurance that he would have many trumpeters, amongst the high and low.
“Our nation will miss his calm dignity and wise words even in the most turbulent circumstances.
“But we thank God for giving us for 85 years, such an exemplar of decency, kindness and integrity.”[myad]

The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) is now going cap-in-hand to source for $3.6 billion to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to 48 million children living through conflict, natural disasters and other emergencies in 51 countries in 2018.
The UNICEF, in a statement, said that violent conflict is driving humanitarian needs to critical levels around the world, with children especially vulnerable.
It regretted conflicts have endured for years in countries such as those in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, among other countries, adding that such conflict had continued to deepen in complexity, bringing new waves of violence, displacement and disruption to children’s lives.
The statement quoted UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes, Manuel Fontaine as saying: “children cannot wait for wars to be brought to an end, with crises threatening the immediate survival and long term future of children and young people on a catastrophic scale.
“Children are the most vulnerable when conflict or disaster causes the collapse of essential services such as healthcare, water and sanitation. Unless the international community takes urgent action to protect and provide life-saving assistance to these children, they face an increasingly bleak future.”
The statement said that parties to conflicts are showing a blatant disregard for the lives of children. Adding that children are not only coming under direct attack, but are also being denied basic services as schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure are damaged or destroyed.
“Approximately, 84 per cent ($3.015 billion) of the 2018 funding appeal is for work in countries affected by humanitarian crises borne of violence and conflict.
“The world is becoming a more dangerous place for many children, with almost one in four children now living in a country affected by conflict or disaster. For too many of these children, daily life is a nightmare.
The statement further quoted Fontaine as saying: “the spread of water-borne diseases is one of the greatest threats to children’s lives in crises. Attacks on water and sanitation infrastructure, siege tactics which deny children access to safe water, as well as forced displacement into areas with no water and sanitation infrastructure – all leave children and families at risk of relying on contaminated water and unsafe sanitation. Girls and women face additional threats, as they often fulfil the role of collecting water for their families in dangerous situations.
“117 million people living through emergencies lack access to safe water and in many countries affected by conflict, more children die from diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation than from direct violence.
“Without access to safe water and sanitation, children fall ill, and are often unable to be treated as hospitals and health centres either do not function or are overcrowded. The threat is even greater as millions of children face life-threatening levels of malnutrition, making them more susceptible to water-borne diseases like cholera, creating a vicious cycle of under nutrition and disease.”
UNICEF said that as the leading humanitarian agency on water, sanitation and hygiene in emergencies, it provides over half of the emergency water, sanitation and hygiene services in humanitarian crises around the world.
“When disasters strike, UNICEF works with partners to quickly provide access to safe drinking water, sanitation services and hygiene supplies to prevent the spread of disease. This includes establishing latrines, distributing hygiene kits, trucking thousands of litres of water to displacement camps daily, supporting hospitals and cholera treatment centres, and repairing water and sanitation systems. These measures save lives, have long-term impact and pave the way for other important services like health clinics, vaccination programmes, nutrition support and emergency education.”
The statement said that the largest component of UNICEF’s appeal this year is for children and families caught up in the Syria conflict, soon to enter its eighth year.
“UNICEF is seeking almost $1.3 billion to support 6.9 million Syrian children inside Syria and those living as refugees in neighbouring countries.
“Working with partners and with the support of donors, in 2018 UNICEF aims to:
– Provide 35.7 million people with access to safe water;
– Reach 8.9 million children with formal or non-formal basic education;
– Immunize 10 million children against measles;
– Provide psychosocial support to over 3.9 million children;
– Treat 4.2 million children with severe acute malnutrition.
“In the first ten months of 2017, as a result of UNICEF’s support:
– 29.9 million people were provided with access to safe water;
– 13.6 million children were vaccinated against measles;
– 5.5 million children accessed some form of education;
– 2.5 million children were treated for severe acute malnutrition;
– 2.8 million children accessed psycho-social support.”[myad]