Build more prisons for inmates – Bishop tells Buhari

The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Prof. Godfrey Onah, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration should start building more prisons to accommodate more depressed Nigerians desperate to survive the current economic hardship.

Bishop Onah stated that Nigeria would soon have the highest number of prisons in the world if nothing is urgently done to checkmate the worsening economic hardship in the country as people are been forced to commit crime.

The Bishop said this during his 60th birthday homily he delivered at the Nsukka Prisons, stressing that the various reports from across the country where people allegedly steal petty things for survival is heartrending.

“The rate of hardship in the country is alarming, if nothing serious is done to checkmate this economic hardship, more prisons will have to be built to accommodate people who will commit crime in a bid to find their daily food.

“The All Progressive Congress (APC) led government should urgently cushion the effect of this current hardship in the country to avoid further hardship on the people”, he said.

The Cleric noted that government should provide employment opportunities for youths of the country to enable them stay away from crime and other related social vices.

Onah said his plan to celebrate his 60th birthday with inmates of Nsukka prisons was to encourage the inmates as well as disabuse their minds from escaping from prisons.

“My decision to celebrate my 60th birthday in Nsukka prisons is to give you sense of belonging and also to let you know that God still love you.

“No matter the circumstances you find yourself, know that God is interested in your salvation. Most times why we do not receive pardon from God for our sin is because we have not accepted that we have sinned against God.

He urged the inmates to see their stay in the prison as the will of God and ensure that they forgive those they believed were responsible for their incarceration.

“God may have allowed you to be here just to provide you a protective custody so that you don’t get into more trouble; it is also possibly that the person you offended may want to kill you.

“My prayer is that all of you will leave here better than you came, learn how to forgive those you feel are responsible for your ordeal.

“It’s the duty of the governments to punish those who may have committed one crime or the other but only God alone has the power of prerogative of mercy”, he said.

The bishop urged government to improve the standard and welfare of both the staff and prison inmates.

“Government should make sure that the standards of prisons in the country meet the purpose of reformatory so that inmates after serving will become better citizens to the country.

Onah advised the public not see prison inmates as worst sinners as no one was above temptations of life.

“I want to remind all of us that we may not be better than those in the prisons. Some people outside are even more guilty than those who are in prisons today.

“The worst prison is the one you put yourself as a result of sins,” he stated.