By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Comptroller General, CG, of Nigeria Correctional Service, NCS, Ja’afara Amhed, has lauded Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade for his swift intervention in the upgrade of COVID -19 testing centre at the Calabar Correctional Service facility.
Speaking during s facility tour to the premises of the Calabar Correctional center by the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, who also doubles as the Chairman of the state COVID-19 Taskforce, Dr. Beta Edu, Amhed, lauded the state governor for responding swiftly at the shortest notice.
He said that the facility upgrade by the state governor was a right step in the right direction, stressing that with the facility upgrade, authority of the correctional service can afford to conduct test for inmates before being admitted to the correctional service facility.
Speaking through the new head of the Calabar, Sir T. Dankaro, the CG averred that the Service has not witnessed such a swift response and support from a state to sustain criminal justice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state Comptroller, who was led by the Commissioner For Health, Dr. Edu through the new male and female Isolation Centre within the correctional service facility stressed that since March this year, criminals trail had been thwarted with no admittance of suspects into the correctional service due to outbreak of the pandemic.
He said that with state government’s intervention, suspects can now be admitted to the facility of the correctional service.
The CG said, “We had genuine pressure from the various security agencies to move criminals from their small cells to this place, unfortunately, that couldn’t happen, because we had no place to isolate them.”
Expressing happiness over the governor’s swift response within the shortest possible time, he said, “We can’t thank His Excellency enough. We plead that this good work be extended to all the other facilities in the state.”
In her remarks, Dr. Edu stated that with the facility upgrade, inmates can afford to screen and isolate males from females so that infected inmates doesn’t get others infected with the virus.
She assured the Comptroller General of Governor Ayade’s support to improve criminal justice system in the state, by making it more efficient so as to deter criminals from proliferating in society.
