A Lagos-based NGO, Anchor Heritage, has lauded the federal government over ongoing reforms at the Nigerian Prisons Service, now Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).

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Mr Bademi Oladipupo, President of the organisation, in a telephone interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the NCS bill into law.

Recalls that Buhari had on Wednesday,  assented to the NCS bill, repealing the Nigeria Prisons Service Act.

“Our organisation with great pleasure welcomes the news of the long-awaited imminent reform of the Nigerian prison system as the Federal Government signed the Nigerian correctional service bill.

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“This new bill repealed the Nigerian Prisons Act and proclaimed the treatment of our prisons as correctional centres,” he said.

He said ongoing reforms at the defunct NPS aligned with the vision and plans of the organisation.

Oladipupo said the organisation had embarked on massive empowerment programmes across prisons in the Southwest and Northcentral part of Nigeria.

He said the organisation had empowered over 400 inmates as part of its contributions to the prison reform process.

Oladipupo called on the federal government to partner with the private sector in the provision of services for congested correctional centres in line with best practices.

He expressed optimism that empowering inmates at correctional centres would re-integrate them easily into society to become productive citizens.

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