At a time when there are concerns over the quality of education being offered in Nigerian universities, a new report has emerged that four prison inmates recently graduated from the National Open University with impressive results.
According to the report published by Daily Trust newspaper online, the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Prison Service, Dr. Peter Ekpendu, made the disclosure on Wednesday, saying that three of the inmates graduated with Second Class Upper degree while the third left with a Second Class Lower degree.
Ekpendu said this while declaring open a workshop entitled "Dynamics in the proper utilization of benefits under Prisons Welfare Insurance Scheme; the way forward" in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Speaking on how the prison inmates were able to achieve the feat, the Nigerian Prisons Service boss stated that there were six directorates in the Prisons Service, and that one of them was dedicated to the training of inmates in skills acquisition.
He maintained that training of inmates after prison terms is one of the cardinal objectives of the Prisons Service.
Ekpendu said the Service is working hard to update its facilities and equipment to ensure better life for inmates after they have been discharged from prisons.
He said the Service also provides inmates who have been discharged with initial take-off grant to enable them function effectively.
It would be recalled that a Federal High Court sitting in Benin, Edo State, had last month ruled that inmates of prisons in Nigeria have the right to vote in all elections conducted in the country.
The court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Lima, gave the ruling in a suit instituted by Messrs. Victor Emenuwe, Onome Inaye, Kabiru Abu, Osagie Iyekepolor, Modugu Odion for and on behalf of inmates of Nigeria Prisons, at list Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Controller-General of Nigeria Prisons Service, also directed the Defendants to ensure that the Applicants are not disenfranchised.
The plaintiffs had in an amended Originating Summons, asked the court to determine "whether having regards to the provisions of section 25 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended in 2011, and section 12 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010, the plaintiffs are not entitled to be registered as voters by the first Defendants."
