NICOWA Donates Protective Equipment to Inmates of Katsina Correctional Centre

By Francis Sardauna

The Katsina State chapter of the Nigeria Correctional Officers’ Wives Association (NICOWA) Wednesday donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to inmates of the Katsina Central Custodial Centre as part of its efforts to tackle the spread of Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

The protective equipment, which were donated to the inmates and staff of the Centre included hand sanitizers, mask, antiseptic soap and water containers.

The state Coordinator of NICOWA, Farida Lawal, while presenting the items to the beneficiaries, said the donation was part of the association’s corporate social responsibility aimed at applauding government’s quest of eradicating the global health crisis rocking the country.

According to her, “The donations is to support the state and federal governments’ efforts to break the chain of transmission and flatten the curve of Covid-19 spread in the country. This gesture is also to prevent the inmates and correctional officers against the deadly disease.”

She however said as government intensifies efforts at containing the spread of the disease, it should also take into consideration the vulnerable segment of the society, particularly inmates across the nation.

She expressed worry that beyond congestion, the prison population has a weaker health profile, making them vulnerable to communicable diseases, hence the need for philanthropists and non-governmental organizations to support custodial centres in the ongoing war against the disease.

Also speaking, the wife of the Katsina State governor, Dr. Hadiza Bello Masari, represented by Hajiya Binta Alti, commended NICOWA for the donation and admonished other non-governmental organizations to emulate the gesture in order to end the Covid-19 pandemic.

Receiving the items, the Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of Katsina Custodial Centre, Mr. Yunusa Lawal, said the items would go a long way in mitigating the spread of coronavirus and urged NICOWA to sustain the tempo.