FG Seeks Collaboration with UNODC on Skills Acquisition for Inmates

FG Seeks Collaboration with UNODC on Skills Acquisition for Inmates

By: Michael Mike

The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has appealed to the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) to partner with the ministry on provision of skills acquisition to inmates at correctional facilities across the country.

The Minister made the appeal on Friday during a visit on him by the Country Representative of UNODC, Mr. Oliver Stolpe,

Tunji-Ojo said correctional facilities should be a Centre of Reformation of inmates, as indicated by the nomenclature of the facilities. He said the custodian facilities should not be seen as condemnation centres.

The Minister while making the passionate appeal, also implored the United Nations agency to always involved the ministry in its intervention across the services under it’s watch, in order to avoid duplications, which often breeds corruption.

He further allayed the fear of UNODC functionaries in Nigeria of their intervention not being politicised, assuring that he is not one of such politicians that engaged in that, stressing that he is not just a politician but a “Technopol (Techno Politician).”

He also assured the visiting UNODC team that as long as he remains the Minister in the Ministry of Interior, their intervention would surely be implemented with the objectives of the projects, averring that the President is interested in the country’s development, therefore there would be no room for duplication of responsibility by the agency and the ministry.

On the latest position on order given for the clearance of 200,000 passport applications backlog, he confirmed that “as of this morning (Friday) about 97,000 passports has been cleared and he assured Nigerians that 24,000 passports would be produced in a day, when the backlogs are cleared”.

The Minister also solicited the support of the organisation on advocacy, reorientation of Nigerians on their mind set about inmates after serving their jail term.

He pleaded for expansion of the collaboration to cover the six geopolitical zones in the country. Tunji-Ojo promised to inaugurate an inter- sectoral collaboration with ministries of Justice, Legal Aide’s Council, Judiciary and state governments for true federalism in the approach and also for Nigerians to achieve the real Renewed Hope Agenda of President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Minister thanked the UNODC for their interventions to Nigeria across many sectors, he pointed out that only UNODC goes into the interior of the country and intervenes where it is critically needed to improve the living condition of Nigerians

Earlier during the visit, the UNODC team leader Mr. Oliver Stolpe, congratulated the Minister for his well deserved appointment, he said they are in the ministry to see the area of collaboration and equally he enumerated areas the body has intervened.

Dignitaries in attendance are Permanent Secretary Ministry of Interior,Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, Directors in the Ministry, Aides to the Minister and team of the delegation.

FG Seeks Collaboration with UNODC on Skills Acquisition for Inmates