The over-crowding of the nation’s prisons by 90 per cent is a national scandal, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
The president who made the remark on Friday spoke when he hosted a delegation of the judicial arm of government led by the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The president therefore called for urgent measures to speedily decongest the prisons across the country.
He said it would be in the interest of justice and the need to save the cost of prisons’ maintenance.
According to him, it would also help in boosting the welfare of prisoners.
“We need a new approach to prison congestion. It is a national scandal that many prisons are overcrowded by 90 per cent.
“Urgent new measures should be put in place to speedily decongest the prisons not only in the interest of justice but to save cost of prisons’ maintenance and welfare of prisoners.
“My Attorney General is advocating establishment of courts inside the prisons to speed up decongestion,’’ he said.
The president also spoke on the need to review the conditions of service of the judicial staff.
He directed the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to take up the issue with the Salary and Wages Commission with a view to advising him for prompt action.
He stated that his administration was conscious of the challenges in the judiciary and that the increased budgetary allocation to the judiciary in the 2017 fiscal year would be sustained.
Buhari said it was regrettable that huge sums were being spent on security, especially in the North East and Niger Delta regions, instead of meaningful development to provide good living standard for the people of the country.
“From 1999 to 2014, Nigeria has never realised so much resources since our independence, never, because the average production, go to any renowned financial or economic institution in the world they know Nigeria produced an average of 2.1 million barrel per day at an average cost of 100 dollars per barrel.
“But when we came in it crashed to 37 dollars per barrel, and there was no saving.
“So really, we have just started working and we hope God in his infinite mercy would give Nigerians the patient to tolerate us,’’ he stressed.
The president pointed out the importance of the judiciary and the police in ensuring stability in the country.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, speaking at the occasion, pledged that the judiciary would continue to do its best to make the nation better.
He also expressed gratitude to God for healing President Buhari.
