Addressing the inauguration ceremony of an office complex for the Nigeria Correctional Service in Avu, Owerri on Friday, Aregbesola said 1,704 inmates sat for West African Senior School Certificate Examination and 634 of them passed.

He recommended that states should invest more in prison systems, which would include training for inmates so they could reintegrate into society.

He said that the complex would provide a good working environment for officers and men of the command, which could translate into greater national security.

He said that the NCoS had recently inaugurated similar projects in Osun and Rivers states with hopes of completing six custodial villages—one for each geopolitical zone.

Aregbesola thanked the president, President Muhammadu Buhari (retd), for his support and expressed hope that the complex would help decongest existing correctional facilities in line with global standards.

“Each of the six custodial centres we are building will accommodate 3000 inmates, have five High Courts and several enterprise facilities for skill acquisition by inmates.”

in his remarks, the Controller General of the NCoS, Haliru Nababa thanked Minister Adesina for his pragmatic leadership and support. The complex will motivate staff to produce excellent results, he added.

“The importance of providing an appropriate and conducive working environment cannot be overemphasised as it is germane for excellent service delivery.

“I am fully confident that the service will witness additional output as a result of this upgrade in infrastructure and this is a step in the right direction,” he said.

In addition, the deputy governor of Imo State expressed his thanks to the federal government for completing and opening the bridge.