By CHIDI NKWOPARA

Soon after some over ambitious Nigerian military personnel sacked second republic politicians from office, they were all hounded into various prisons across the nation. It did no matter to the khaki boys if all the politicians were guilty or not. They were all forced to taste the bitter pill of incarceration. But after regaining his freedom, the late first civilian governor of Imo State, Chief Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe, in his usual hilarious but sincere disposition, did not waste time to talk about his prison experience to anybody who cared to listen.

He confessed that if he knew that the prison environment was as bad as he saw and experienced it and not good enough for human habitation, he would have done everything to make it better, while in office. Mbakwe was not joking about his findings. The truth is that he never had an opportunity to reshape the prison before his death.

Speaking to Vanguard Metro in a recent chat, the Anglican Bishop of Okigwe South Diocese, Rt. Rev. David C. O. Onuoha, equally lamented what he termed “the deteriorating prison condition in the country”.

*Archibishop Obinn

Inhuman conditions

The fiery Anglican cleric noted that some of the inmates of these prisons may come out of it worse than what they were before their incarceration, due the inhuman conditions they found themselves. His words: “The inmates of Nigerian prisons are human beings. They should be treated with some measure of respect and indeed, reformed while in lawful custody. Some of them are incarcerated for true fault of theirs. They should not be hardened but reformed to become good citizens of Nigeria”.

Although he recalled with grief how the vehicle in which he was traveling was hit several times by bullets fired by a gang of rampaging hoodlums near Orlu, Imo State, Bishop Onuoha however said that as a priest of God, he had a responsibility to cater for all creatures of God. ”I have since forgiven the boys, especially as they were crest-fallen as soon as they noticed that they were attacking a harmless bishop”, Onuoha said.

He passionately appealed to the Federal Government to move its transformation agenda to the prisons, stressing that inmates ought to be transformed and not hardened. Whether his periodic appeals ever hit the right chord remains any person’s guess. For the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna, whose Cathedral is not too far away from Owerri Federal Prisons, he prefers to pay them periodic pastoral visits.

Apart from establishing a Catholic Chaplaincy to take care of the spiritual needs of the inmates, Archbishop Obinna has continued to plead their cause at every opportunity. He paid another pastoral visit to Owerri Prisons during the last Christmas festivities to celebrate with the inmates. His findings remained almost the same, “despicable and inhuman”.

The first thing that badly hit Archbishop Obinna’s sensibility was the very poor sanitary situation in and around the prison yard, and he did not hide his feelings about it. ”What one notices on arrival is the malignant odour oozing out from the sewage that terribly polluted the whole area”, Obinna said.

While expressing dismay over what he termed “this unpleasant condition that poses a major threat to the health and lives of the inmates”, Archbishop Obinna equally pleaded with the prison officials to “report this matter” to the appropriate quarters.

”Government should please come to the rescue of these helpless inmates and the entire people residing around this federal establishment. The environment is despicable and inhuman”, Archbishop Obinna said.

He called on the inmates to give their lives to Christ, despite the debilitating situation they found themselves, stressing that it was only Jesus Christ that can set them free. ”This is why I have come to you, my dear friends, to share with you the Good News of Christ’s birth and urge you to welcome Him into your lives. That is the only way you can be saved. You may be a sinner but the love of God can save you if you welcome Him”, Obinna told the inmates.

The Catholic cleric said he was aware that some of the people walking the streets as free men, ought to be behind bars, while a number of those inside the prisons should not be in prison.

”If you are in Christ, you are free, even as you may be physically in prison”, Archbishop Obinna encouraged the inmates.

Tales from inmates: Some of them said they spend several months without being taken to court to stand trial, even when they had lawyers who were in court waiting for them. The inmates, in an address, pleaded with government to provide vehicles to the prison authorities, which they said would be used to move them to about 56 courts spread across the state. ”We are sad that we are yet to see the Governor of Imo State since his promise to visit the prison in 2011. A personal visit would have enabled him to see for himself the plight of the inmates”, the y reasoned.

They opined that the situation in the prison was worsened by the number of people awaiting trial. The population of the inmates as at December 2011 was 1,754, adding that today, the figure was hovering around 1,850 in a prison that was built to accommodate only 548 inmates!

Introduction of in-house courts

The inmates called for he liberalisation of bail conditions, as well as the re-introduction of in-house courts to speed up the dispensation of minor cases instead of making the prison a dumping ground for inmates awaiting trial.

They alleged that indigenes of the state constituted the greater percentage of condemned criminals and pleaded for amnesty for convicted persons of all categories. Another area of concern for the inmates is the provision of lawyers for indigent suspects that are currently awaiting trial but can’t afford legal fees. This would mitigate, to a large extent, the long stay of inmates in prison.

They also appealed to government to seriously look into what they termed, “the recklessness of the police and state counsels”.

Responding to their address, Archbishop Obinna promised to make their voices heard. He also fed the prison inmates. Other highlights of the pastoral visit included a pontifical sung mass, rendition of songs by the inmates, football match, visitation of the cells by the Archbishop and administration of the sacrament of confirmation on 13 inmates of the prison.