The National Executive Council (NEC) has agreed to partner the private sector in the construction and rehabilitation of prisons across the country.
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja when he briefed State House Correspondents on the outcome of the NEC meeting.
Umahi said the agreement was arrived at after the Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Danbazau (rtd) and the Controller-General of Prison, briefed the council on the state of the nation’s prisons.
Pathetic sector
He said in their separate briefing, the two men presented the state of prisons in Nigeria and painted ”an appalling” picture of structures and logistics in the system.
”The situation painted by the minister and the CG of Prison was quite pathetic.
”It was also agreed that states that have the capacity to build prisons should go ahead including private sector participation.”
Umahi said that governors who attended the meeting were unanimous on the need to rehabilitate prisons in the country.
”It was indicated that states that have the capacity should as soon as practicable lend helping hand to provide facilities that will help decongest the prisons and improve the state of the inmates,” he added.
