President Muhammadu Buhari has described the congestion of Nigeria’s prisons as a national scandal.
The president decried that many of the nation’s prisons were 90 overcrowded.
Buhari was speaking inside the Council Chambers of the Aso Rock
Presidential Villa in Abuja Friday while receiving a delegation of the
justices of the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court as well as heads of
other judicial institutions.
The delegation, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter
Onnoghen, visited Buhari to welcome him from his recent medical
vacation in the United Kingdom.
The president said urgent measures should be put in place to
speedily decongest the prisons, stressing the need for a new approach to
prison congestion.
He said the call became necessary not only in the interest of justice
but to save the cost of prisons’ maintenance and boost the welfare of
prisoners.
“We need a new approach to prison congestion. It is a national
scandal that many prisons are overcrowded by 90 per cent,” Mr. Buhari
said.
“Urgent new measures should be put place to speedily decongest the
prisons not only in the interest of justice but to save cost of prisons’
maintenance and welfare of prisoners.
“My Attorney General is advocating establishment of courts inside the prisons to speed up decongestion,” he said.
On review of the conditions of service of the judicial staff, the
president directed the office of the Attorney General of the federation
to take up the issue with the Salary and Wages Commission and advise him
for prompt action.
He said his administration was not unmindful of the challenges facing
the judiciary, saying that the increased budgetary allocation to the
judiciary in the 2017 fiscal year would be sustained.
Mr. Buhari lamented that huge sums were being spent on security,
especially in the North East and Niger Delta regions, instead of
meaningful development, to better the lives of citizens.
He, however, expressed optimism that God would touch the minds of
Nigerians to be patient with the government in its efforts to transform
the nation’s economy.
“I have said it so many times, I don’t mind saying it now to you
because some of you may not have even the time to listen to radio or
watch television as regularly as other people do.
“From 1999 to 2014, Nigeria has never realised so much resources
since our independence, never, because the average production – go to
any renowned financial or economic institution in the world; they know
Nigeria produced an average of – (was) 2.1 million barrel per day at an
average cost of 100 dollars per barrel.
“But when we came in it crashed to 37 dollars per barrel, and we overlooked saving and there was no saving.
“So really, we have just started working and we hope God in his
infinite mercy would give Nigerians the patience to tolerate us,’’ he
added.
While commending the judiciary for establishing special courts to
speed up trial for corruption and other criminal cases, Mr. Buhari said
the stability of the country depended a lot on the Judiciary and Police.
Earlier, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr. Onnoghen, thanked God for healing the President Buhari.
He reassured the president that that the judiciary would continue to do its best for the country.
(NAN)