EXTRA: To be proper leaders, politicians should spend time in prison, says Suswam

Gabriel Suswam, senator representing Benue east senatorial district, says Nigerian politicians should spend “one or two days” in prison to be proper leaders.

The senator, a former governor of Benue, said this while contributing to a motion on prison decongestion by Uche Ekwunife, senator representing Anambra central.

Suswam, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N3.1 billion fraud, was once remanded in prison.

He said based on his experience while in prison, it will be good for intending leaders to spend time in also be there to learn some lessons.

“I want to support this motion based on my experience. When I left priosn, I recommended that for people to be proper leaders in this country, at least each and everyone of us must spend one or two days in prison,” he said.

Lawan interjected and jokingly said: “anyone who served as a governor?”

“Yes and deputy governor probably,” he added, before Suswan continued.

The former governor said he was taken to the prison in the night and the following day in the morning, “the entire prison knew I was there.”

“I sat down there from morning till evening because there were a lot of young people there,” he said.

“And it might interest you to know that what they spend years in prison for… are demeanour you can easily dismiss. There was a young man who has spent 10 years there for just a problem of N10,000.

“Various individuals were there on very minor offences that the police can afford to correct them and send them home.”

The senate adopted the motion and asked its relevant committees to ensure a proper oversight of correctional centres in Nigeria.