LAGOS—A member of the House of Representatives, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, weekend, urged the government to create more jobs for citizens and to reduce the rate of poverty if they want a crime-free society.

She also  tasked Nigeria Prison Service to ensure that prisons in Nigeria serves it designed purpose of rehabilitating its inmate properly enable them return  into the society as better people.

Mrs. Erewa, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, made this disclosures, weekend,  during a  musical concert  entitled Say No To Crime, at the  female prison, Kirikiri. While  assuring  inmates of her support, she advised  women to shun crime as they are not meant to be in the prison.

She said: “Government has to do a lot to ensuring that crimes are not commit and our society is safe for us to live in. They need to provide jobs for the people and reduced poverty, because poverty  is a major force propelling crime.

“The most important thing is that women are not suppose to be behind bars. We are nor created to be criminals. It is also pathetic that some of these women are still awaiting trials.

“Women must say no to crime. We have to encourage these women and to make them understand that it is not the end of the road and there is a woman here who is from my constituency, and she said the only thing keeping her here is bail.

When I get back to the House we will look into the situation in the prison.” she stated

Meanwhile the lawmaker also frowned at the sight of children who were above the age 18 month around the prison, stating that she  would get the authorities to take them out; “I am talking to the prison authority to get these children out of here  because this not where they should be and they have even stayed longer than the required 18 months I have seen about five of them  and they have to leave because they are not prisoners”.

The Controller of Prison Lagos State Mr Abayomi Oguntuas, appreciated the lawmaker and  musicians  for  coming to the prison to make the inmate feel like they are part of the society.

He assured that  the  prison would  do everything t possible to met the international minimum standard for treatment of offenders. “As you can see the inmate are happy, they are undergoing some vocational training, some are in the area in the computer room some are in the churches as well as mosques. I am optimistic they will not leave this place as they came”. He stated