Foundation creates libraries for custodial centres

The Foundation for Socio-Cultural Development and Alternative Economic Empowerment (FOSDA), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has gotten the approval of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) to set up libraries across Nigerian Custodial Centres.

The Chief Librarian of NCS, Mr Ilya Haruna Goni, who revealed this at the launch of FOSDA in Abuja, stressed that Section 14 sub section 1 of the new Act on correctional service spoke about encouraging inmates to acquire education.

“Establishing libraries at this time is coming at the right time and is in the right direction to enable inmates that have not been well informed, especially since we are partnering with NOUN we have graduates already.

“It may also interest you to even know that we have people or inmates that have graduated there are some of them that are into the courses of today and we have one doing his Ph.D. programme based on the fact that he met the existing facility. And with FOSDA coming again, it will help in no smaller measure to meet up with their challenges,” said Goni who represented the acting Comptroller General of NCS, John Mrabure.

The founder of FOSDA, Miss Patience Maina Caleb, said inmates should engage themselves by reading books.

“Some of the materials they will read since it is only on school reading materials will change their mindset positively. It will help them not to give up on society and make them realise there is another world for them outside that place.

“By the time they come back to society, they don’t have to feel different anymore,” she said.