The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 50 medical doctors and 100 nurses for hospitals in correctional centres across the country.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed this on Tuesday when the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
The minister explained that the president granted the approval following the shortage of medical personnel in several correctional centres.
He revealed that the hospital at the correctional facility in Rivers had no medical doctor available to provide care for inmates.
According to him, the equipment in some correctional centres, such as Kuje, can perform major surgery.
“The President understands that he is the President of all Nigerians, including those inmates. And as father to all, he has always shown that he cares,” he said.
The minister said that the Federal Government had been training inmates through train-the-trainer programmes.
“We have been able to build capacity through what we call train the trainer. We did what we call inmate skills audits. We went to our correctional centres and tried to learn the skills these inmates had.
“We now empower you to be able to train other people. We empower those who graduate.
“We have been able to sanitise. And the president has done too well by increasing their feeding allowance by 50 per cent,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo emphasised the need for the Ministry of Information and National Orientation to highlight and communicate the achievements recorded by the Ministry of Interior to Nigerians.
“We want you to come and see some of the things we have been able to achieve.
“And, in terms of our national security strategy, we want to collaborate more with you, so that there can be a coordinated communication strategy.
“In NSCDC, we’ve created what we call the mine marshals in collaboration with the Ministry of Solid Minerals. Now securing our minefields.”
“And you can see that the effect is there. There is a reduction in criminality and violence within this sector. And also, protection of critical national assets,” he said.
