FG to Spend N3.5bn on Vehicles for Prisons In Nigeria

Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday
approved N3.5 billion for the purchase of 320 vehicles
for the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS).
The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahaman
Dambazau , made this known while briefing State
House correspondents on the outcome of the weekly
FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Dambazau stated that the vehicles will be procured
from Nigerian automobile companies to boost
employment opportunities in the country in line with
the present government’s policy.
“In our efforts to strengthen the Criminal Justice
System and to contribute towards decongesting the
prison system, we presented a memo for the
procurement of 320 operational vehicles for the prison
service at the cost of N3.5 billion.
“This procurement will be from local manufacturers,
assemblers and vendors within Nigeria, and the effort
is to follow through government’s policy to ensure that
most of the procurement for equipment and vehicles
are done locally.
“That will also provide opportunity for job creation and
things like that.’’
The minister said the ministry was exploring the best
way to improve the movement of the inmates to court
so that their chances of getting justice would not be
jeopardised.
According to him, many prisoners remain in prison
longer than necessary due to lack of operational
vehicles that should convey them to the courts.
Dambazau said that there are about 65,000 prisoners in
various prisons across the country with more than 70
per cent of them awaiting trial.
In his contribution, the Minister of Power, Works and
Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said the council
approved the purchase of three 150 MVA transformers
for power substations at Shiroro, Oshogbo and
Kumbotso in Niger, Osun, and Kano states
respectively.
He said the equipment, when installed, would enhance
the evacuation of generated power by the
Transmission Company of Nigeria. (NAN)