FEC approves N2.8bn for digital connectivity of prisons

The federal executive council (FEC) has approved a N2.8 billion contract for the installation of a digital integrated system to reduce prison congestion across the country.

The three-hour meeting was presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Speaking with reporters at the end of the meeting, Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) said the web-based system will improve the justice system in the country.

According to him, the system will assist stakeholders in the office of the AGF, Nigeria Prisons Service, Nigeria Police, including selected courts to monitor real-time progress of pending cases and movement of suspects between the courts and prisons.

He added that it will also track those who have overstayed their prison terms as well as those wrongly imprisoned.

Malami said the new system will replace the practice of setting up government committees that usually visit prisons to attend to individual cases and identify inmates that deserve pardon or prerogative of mercy as part of efforts to decongest the prisons.

“The system would be operated by retrained staff of the Nigeria Prisons Service, while there would be systemic checks to substantiate the input or data of suspects put into the system to avoid compromise and other forms of corruption,” Malami said.

Udoma Udoma, minister of budget and national planning,  said FEC approved two contracts for the N-Power Build programme of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

He said this is to impart skills in young non-graduates.

Udoma explained that the N-Power Build programme is a non-graduate programme that seeks to deliver accelerated training and certificated skills to 75,000 Nigerians between ages of 18 years and 35 years.

“It aims to build a high crop of highly competent and skilled workforce of technicians, artisans and service professionals, who will be trained and tooled and transitioned annually to take up jobs as electrical installation technicians, plumbing and pipe fitting installers, masons, carpentry and gentry experts, welders, fabricators, professional painters, building technicians and so on,” he said.

“The focus has so far been zone by zone. Today, the contract for the Southeast zone of Nigeria was awarded to Hitech Investment Ltd at the sum of N122.8 million. It covers all the states in the south-east.

“The one for the north-west zone was awarded to Noble Ventures Limited in the sum of N145.1 million and it covers all the states in the north-west.”