At a brief ceremony to hand over the West African Examination Council (WAEC) November/December WASSCE statement of results to 43 inmates of the Kuje Medium Prison in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on August 30, 2014, the message was clear: ‘Take your chances while the opportunity is here for you’.
“The judge asked me a question: “I want to see the appointment letter and the certificate that qualified you to be the chief security officer of Onitsha Patent Medicine Dealers Association?” I must tell you; then I was doing the job as a greenhorn because I didn’t know anything about security and when the judge put that question to me I was startled and confused. I didn’t know what to say.
“When I came to prison, I said to myself that I want to know the secret of this thing called certificate,” says Okpara Christopher Mba, 43, an inmate awaiting trial, who has been in prison since 2008. He is a suspect in the attempted assassination of former NAFDAC boss and ex-minister of information, Late Prof. Dora Akunyili.
The enthusiastic Mba told LEADERSHIP Weekend that his ordeal began in 2004 when he was linked to an assassination attempt against the late Akunyili. He was later discharged in 2005, but he summited himself to security personnel in 2008 after he was declared wanted.
The former chief security officer of the once powerful Onitsha Patent Medicine Dealers Association said he took advantage of the free education available in prison in the hopes of grabbing an opportunity for a better life. “A friend of mine in 2007 wanted to assist me in contesting for local government chairman in my state, but I had no certificate to present,” he added.
“I made up my mind not to worry about my situation and when the opportunity came for WASSCE, I enrolled. It is not an easy thing for one to be in a place like this and still summon courage to write and read,” Mba said.
As Mba’s trial case file continues to gather dust in court, he decided to make better use of himself; he preaches the gospel to his fellow inmates. To add more value, he took advantage of a gesture by a non-governmental organisation, NUGA BEST, out to provide opportunities to inmates to acquire knowledge while serving jail term.
“When I registered for WASSCE I said to myself that I want to know the secret of this thing called certificate. I also want to tell others that crime is not the best thing,” he says.
The second best graduating student with a distinction in English Language and credit pass in 7 subjects, Mba gained admission into the department of Criminology and Security Studies, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Kuje Prison Centre.
Why that programme? Mba says: “I have come to realise that crime does not pay and I have the confidence that I will not end up in prison and when I come out, I will do my best to effect change in the society.
“I will not be ashamed to tell people who I was before, the implication and what I have learnt,” says the first year student.
For 45-year-old armed robbery suspect, Ononiwu Sydney Maxwell, he will never forget August 25th, 2006, for two reasons: the 19 gruesome months in the hands of the police and pathway to finding the good seed of life in prison.
“After my arrest in 2006 I felt hated and things were not going well for me, but as time went on, I started searching for a seed of goodness in prison. I found something as worthy as gold-education.
“The first time I didn’t participate; the second time I earned just a few credits and I attempted again and made the required result,” says Maxwell.
Explaining the reason for the choice of Peace and Conflict Resolution programme at NOUN, Maxwell said: “I believe peace and conflict resolution will reduce cases in courts. It enables people in conflict situations to have peace,” he added.
Instead of loafing around, Maxwell said he decided to further his studies, as he is optimistic about a better future. “I am hoping for something better after obtaining a degree,” he said.
He also expressed shock that 70 per cent of young students outside prison failed key subjects in the last May/June WASSCE. Maxwell came top of his class of 43 students.
Emmanuel Ikeokwu Amadi is 54 years old and the third best graduating student. He is awaiting trail for a N500 million fraud and has been an inmate of Kuje prison since 2007.
“When I came to prison, I discovered that the young men were not interested in going to school. So instead of the money being wasted I decided to get involved in WAEC, made my papers and was offered admission to NOUN to study Political Science,” Amadi revealed.
His reason for opting to study political science, according to Amadi, is hinged on the fallouts occasioned by the bad leadership experienced in Nigeria in recent times. “For me, the people ruling Nigeria are off track; I want to amend the mistakes of our leaders.
“Prison is not a convenient place for studying, thus if a person in prison makes his papers, then outside the prison such a person will come out with flying colours.
“The atmosphere is not conducive for reading as we have just three hours for study per day,” Amadi said.
The religious man now believes that going to prison does not matter to him anymore, asserting that what matters is what he is taking out of prison- knowledge and power.
Meanwhile, amidst the party atmosphere during the handing over of the WAEC results, the inmates’ class president, Eze’Duke Duke called for better funding of prison education through the provision of basic infrastructure and learning aids.
About 33 inmates have so far gained admissions into various programmes at NOUN, with the most senior in year two.
In his speech at the event, FCT Controller of Prisons, Kasali Yusuf said prison is not a place for condemnation but a centre for reformation, rehabilitation and re-integration. Achieving that goal, according to Yusuf, is possible through information and education.
He urged all inmates awaiting trial to particularly, take advantage of the opportunity available in Kuje prison to add value to themselves and to the country, since their cases have not been concluded in court.
The controller also commended the efforts being made by NGOs in giving hope to the inmates. He thanked the director of NUGA BEST, Pastor Hillary Chukwuma Akpu for identifying with the activities of the Nigerian Prisons Service in the reformation of inmates in the FCT.
“We are proud that an inmate can pursue education in prison to the level of a university degree,” Yusuf said.
He reiterated the efforts being made by the prisons authority to press on the criminal justice system in the country to speed up inmates’ cases in courts. LEADERSHIP Weekend was told that majority of the over 700 inmates in Kuje medium prison are awaiting trial.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Weekend on the future of students studying in prisons in the country, an Abuja based lawyer, Nathaniel Ojile said by the law, a convicted person cannot enjoy the same rights and privileges as free citizens.
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