TUESDAY March 11, 2025 |TheNewsDESK
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has launched its 2025 Assisted Prison Decongestion and Welfare Programme in the Niger Delta, aimed at upholding the fundamental rights of inmates and aligning prison welfare with international standards and best practices.
The initiative was officially flagged off yesterday at the Okaka Correctional Centre in Bayelsa State with the donation of mattresses, mats, pharmaceuticals for inmate well-being, and car tyres to enhance operational efficiency.
The programme is being implemented in collaboration with Peace and Development Projects, Velma Foundation, Benoni Akpa Development Foundation, and Lov Network Foundation.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Yenagoa, Dr. Ovie Mathias, Project Manager and representative of Velma Foundation, along with Mr. Bethel Aghogho of Peace and Development Foundation, reiterated the NDDC’s commitment to implementing prison decongestion and welfare programmes that will impact thousands of lives across the Niger Delta.
Dr. Mathias explained that the first phase of the initiative focuses on improving living conditions by providing essential welfare materials to correctional facilities, starting with the Yenagoa Correctional Center. The second phase will address overcrowding by securing the release of indigent inmates convicted of minor offenses through the payment of fines.
“This project prioritizes individuals who qualify for release based on their convictions and financial inability to pay court-imposed fines. By intervening in this manner, the NDDC aims to ease congestion in correctional facilities while offering rehabilitation and reintegration opportunities to deserving inmates,” he stated.
The welfare support includes:
Sleeping materials – Mattresses and mats for improved inmate comfort.
Medical supplies – Essential pharmaceuticals to enhance healthcare within correctional centers.
Operational support – New tyres for correctional facility vehicles to boost efficiency.
Dr. Mathias emphasized that the NDDC’s intervention reflects its ongoing commitment to human-centered initiatives, complementing its infrastructure development projects in the Niger Delta. He also highlighted the Commission’s strategic partnerships with respected organizations to amplify the impact of the programme.
“By addressing overcrowding in our correctional centers and improving inmate welfare, the NDDC is actively contributing to the region’s development while ensuring that President Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda reaches those most in need.”
Receiving the donated materials, Ogundare Rashidi, the officer in charge of the Okaka Correctional Center, expressed gratitude to the NDDC and its partners. He acknowledged that the support would significantly enhance the welfare of the inmates, whom he referred to as “students” in recognition of their potential for rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
The 2025 Assisted Prison Decongestion and Welfare Programme underscores the NDDC’s broader mission to promote justice, peace, and development in the Niger Delta, ensuring a more humane and rehabilitative correctional system.
