House Members Affirm Low Crime Rate in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions, led by its Chairman, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, have expressed delight over the low crime rate presently recorded in Rivers state. The House Committee members made the observation yesterday, during a courtesy visit to Government House in Port Harcourt.

In his speech,  Ogah, explained that they were  in Rivers State to oversight all the Correctional Institutions domiciled in the State. He noted the gross neglect that the Correctional Service has suffered in the country, particularly in the aspect of security. 

He listed four Correctional Service centres in Rivers State to include Port Harcourt, Ahoada, Degema and the Farm Settlement; with each housing about 4,000 inmates, adding that 91 per cent of such inmates are awaiting trial.

Ogah said: “And most of these people are not yet convicted, and some of them are not being justified, what the case is all about. And the major issue, the negligence aspect of the security, is that they don’t care how to reintegrate, reform, bring them back into the society so they cannot indulge in crime.

“If we really look into it, we find out that, that is the only way we can ensure the security of lives and property in this country, by making sure that those we feel have already committed crimes are reformed and reintegrated into the society by giving them skills and opportunity so that they can have something to feed, and not go back to crime.

“And Your Excellency, from our records, we found out that since your assumption of office, there has been reduction of crime rate in Rivers State because of what you have done by empowering the youths in all the local governments economically, in all the wards by giving them a sense of belonging too. We have to commend you for that.”

Ogah said further that Rivers is one of the places where the construction of 3,000-capacity centres is ongoing, stressing that the construction has gotten up to 60 per cent. 

“Your Excellency, you know the truth: Federal Government cannot do it alone, and as a Governor that knows the problems of the people, that is our essence of coming to you to partner with the Committee on Reformatory Institutions to know what we can do together to relocate that correctional service centre.”

He therefore, solicited the support of the State Government to make the initiative of the federal government succeed for the peace and development of Rivers State and Nigeria. 

Responding, the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, called for speedy investigation of suspects arrested for crime and taken through unimpeded process of legal trails to ensure that they did not eventually get dumped in the correctional centres unduly on awaiting trial list.

He said this will place more demand on the Nigeria Police Force and the Judiciary to rise up to the challenge of ensuring that their institutions truly function effectively towards achieving desired successes of decongesting correctional centres and dispensing justice.

Governor Fubara insisted that such approach will contribute largely to solving the incidences of overcrowded correctional centres with awaiting trial inmates across the country, including the attendant financial burden required for their upkeep.

The governor said: “I know that the State Government, from time to time, I mean, through the Chief Judge, had visited the Correctional Centres, and after evaluation, and I have seen a few letters he has written about what he saw on his visit, and having confirmed, and accessed a few of the inmates, he had granted them either bail or pardon.

“But this issue goes back to one major thing: institutions that we call the Police Force and the Judiciary. Most of these issues that we are talking about, overcrowding of the Correctional Centres, might be due to delay in the trial of their cases. That is the truth.

“The other aspect is that you arrest somebody wrongfully or whatever, and the process of investigation takes two, three, four years. So, we need to make sure that our institutions are functioning effectively. And, if they are functioning effectively, I strongly believe that most of these issues of over-crowding of the Correctional Centres won’t be there.”

Governor Fubara said his administration is focused on the need of Rivers people, adding that while addressing those needs, it is also mindful of the importance of properly integrating ex-convicts into the society.

He said: “We also need to ensure that proper evaluations are done to ensure that we are not endangering our people. It is not just to say we need to reintegrate them. We also need to do the proper thing to make sure that when they leave the centres, they can fit into the society.”

The governor expressed delight that issues of the correctional centres attracted the attention of the National Assembly, which means that government is alive and up to its responsibility.

Governor Fubara also thanked members of the committee for the visit, and acknowledging the modest achievements of his administration so far, particularly in ensuring a reduction of crime in the State compared to what was inherited.

Fubara explained that his administration has continued to support the Controller of the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre with monthly subvention to assist in the day-to-day running of his office as well as other levels of assistance.

The governor noted that most of the correctional centres were built over 80 years ago when nobody envisaged that the number of inmates will increase astronomically as witnessed now.

But he said that what the federal government is doing in the state by building new facilities to house inmates and the plan to relocate correctional centres in the city centre will be something to support.

Governor Fubara charged the committee to play its part effectively by making the requisite laws and secure the legislative backing that can eventually correct the mistakes that have been noticed.