CBN refurbishes Federal Prison’s Library in Osun

As part its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has refurbished the Federal Maximum Prison in Ilesa, Osun State with a view to achieving the total re-orientation of the Prison inmates after serving their jail term.

Speaking at the commissioning and delivering of the new Library to the authority of the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS), Osun State Branch Controller of the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN), Alhaji
Bashiru Ibrahim, maintained that the project was part of desire of the bank to see a better Nigeria through a qualitative education to all sphere of Nigerians.

He noted that ‎the Nigeria Prisons should serve as rehabilitation and corrective centres for the
inmates.

He also commended the authority of the Nigeria Prison Service for the opportunity being given to the Alms Committee of the Bank to embarked on the N1 milion project of upgrading the Library with
modern learning materials, adding that books, furniture and other educational materials were provided for the Prison School library.

He said, “The refurbishment of the library is part
of our social responsibility to the society and jurisdiction of our operation. I will like to use this opportunity to give kudos to the Alms Project Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Osun State branch for upgrading of the library and this is service to humanity by the Committee

“You will agree with me that imprisonment is meant to serve as corrective measures and not to subject any human being to the hopelessness. Thus, soberness and change of heart could enable a man
to achieve his life goal. This is why the staff of the CBN,Osun State branch, considered the establishment of a library for the inmates
which has cost us a million naira to complete.

“We see this library as worthwhile project with the hope that the inmates will make use of the facility and become a man and woman of their dream at the completion of their jail term.”

The Controller of Prisons, Osun State Command,
Mr. Segun Oluwasemire, commended the Staff the apex bank in the country for the gesture.

He said that about 30 inmates of the
prison would soon round off their secondary education and ready for their tertiary institution in 2017.

He urged  that the authority of the National Open
University (NOUN) to grant Special Study Centre to the Federal Prison, Ilesa, for a seamless transition of their secondary school product to the University through distance learning.

He said  that the command was being proactive in achieving total reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders in its custody by preparing them for a world of opportunities outside the prison walls.

Earlier in his welcome speech, the officer-in-charge, Ilesa Maximum Prison, Mr. Ope Fatinikun, charged other corporate bodies in the public and private sectors to join in the task of reforming and reintegrating offenders.

He added, “Education
is critical to the success of the mandate of the prison service, and the place of library in providing sound education and creating an enabling environment for learning cannot be overemphasized.”

The Senior Prefect of the school, Waliu Olasunkanmi, thanked the Committee members and the prison authorities for giving him and other
inmates the opportunity of taking another shot at education.