The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has expressed confidence in the capability of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to adequately manage the parole system.
This is as contained in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015 and the NCoS Act, 2019.
Aregbesola stated this at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions on a Bill for an Act to repeal Section 40 NCoS Act 2019 in Abuja.
The minister said that the bill provided for the administration of parole by the Controller General of Corrections, (CGC) Haliru Nababa.
Aregbesola lauded the courage of the legislature in enacting the NCoS Act.
He noted that anchoring the administration of the parole system in the office of the CGC was well designed to ensure that assessment of parolees was meritorious and seamless.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Speaker of the House of Representative, Femi Gbajabiamila, stated that the central role of law making was developing vibrant legislative instruments that guaranteed executive functions without encumbrances.
The Speaker, who was represented by Peter Akpatasin, therefore, called for frank and constructive submissions that would be in the best interest of Nigerians.
Also, the CGC, Haliru Nababa, in his submission, emphasised that parole as a non-custodial measure remained a veritable tool the Service was striving to leverage on.
He said this was to mitigate the age-long challenge of overcrowding in Custodial Centres.
Nababa said that the Service had hit the ground running in providing enabling environment for the successful administration of Parole.
On her part, the Executive Director, Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Dr Uju Agomoh, in line with the Minister of Interiors’s position, expressed deep confidence in the ability of NCoS to adequately handle parole.
She said all that is needed at this point in time is support and this is in terms of funding.