As part of plans to reintegrate inmates back into the society, the House of Representatives member representing Chanchaga Federal Constituency, Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago, has disclosed that he will partner with the State Attorney General to ensure the release of prisoners whose release are tied to monetary fine option.
Bago said he has also entered into partnership with the National Directorate for Employment so that by the time they are released, the inmates will be enrolled into the NDE/Bago Foundation programme.
He said this will enable them become good people in the society.
Hon. Bago said on Sunday when he visited the Medium Security Prison in Minna, Orphanage Home and the Physically challenged in Niger State to donate relief materials that there are 438 inmates in the prisons, which is so congested for a facility with only 160 beds.
According to him: “This assistance for the release of these prisoners is immediate. We have already written to the Prisons to give us the lists of the people so that we can give it to the Attorney to see to their cases because some of them are with the option of monetary fine which is not much.”
Bago said his Foundation, Bago Foundation, has put in place modalities to reach out to the masses by distributing relief materials, which include 500 mattresses, 500 blackets, 100 cartons of sugar, 200 bags of millet, 100 cartons of soap, 100 cartons of detergent.
Earlier, the Officer-in-Charge of the Prison and Deputy Controller of Prisons, Niger State Prisons Command, Jibrin A. Mohammed, said since the Prison was commissioned in 2001, this will be the first time it is getting relief materials and assistance.
However, while soliciting for vehicular assistance, Mohammed lamented that the only Mini Green Maria vehicle which they have been managing to cover 23 courts within and outside Minna is in very bad shape as it was involved in an accident.
The Chairman of the All Progressive Congress in Niger State, Engr. Jibril Imam, while commending the lawmaker for his gesture, called on other lawmakers both at the State and Federal level to emulate him to reach out to the masses.
Imam said: “We believe he will do more because he has been in the forefront in reaching out to the people in his constituency.
“We call on other party members both at State and federal level to emulate him.”
The Principal of the Special School for the Physically challenged, Ibrahim Garba, and the Chairman Spinal Cord Injury association of Nigeria, Niger State chapter, Usman Galkogo, both expressed joy and thanked the lawmaker for the gesture.
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