Buhari appoints Bakut IPCR DG

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Bakut Tswah Bakut, the
Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution
(IPCR).

The appointment, according to a statement by the Resident
Information Officer, IPCR, Abu Michael, took effect from December
27, 2018.

“The appointment was conveyed in a letter with reference:
SGF.6/S.7/T/187, dated 6th May, 2019, signed by the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha,” Abu
said.

Abu added that in the letter, the SGF wrote: “I am pleased to
inform you that Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of
Nigeria, has approved your appointment as Director-General of the
Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution for an initial term of
four (4) years in accordance with Section 9 (3) (a) of the IPCR
(Establishment) Act, 2007.”

Michael further said Abu pledged his unalloyed support to the
Federal government and commitment to repositioning IPCR for greater
service to Nigeria and Africa.

Bakut also expressed appreciation to President Buhari for the
appointment, saying it was a demonstration of the commitment of his
government towards the promotion of peace and national unity.

“Bakut also commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its
understanding and support when he held sway in an acting capacity
since August 8, 2018,” Abu added.

Bakut, a doctorate degree holder in International Relations,
according to Abu, had since August 7, 2014, fulfilled the necessary
requirements for professorial position as satisfied by external
assessors.

“Chairman of the IPCR Governing Council on 18th December 2018,
approved him as a Professor of International Relations and African
Studies,” Abu further said.

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Prison Reforms: Our Focus is on Inmates not Crime-
Dambazau

The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau,
has reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government towards a
holistic prisons reform, saying that “our focus is on
rehabilitating the criminal and not the crime he or she
committed.

The minister stated this on Friday at the Nigerian Prison
Headquarters in Abuja, where he commissioned several projects
including the Nigerian Prison multipurpose Conference Centre, which
was named Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau Conference Centre, central
stores and 116 operational vehicles bought through the 2018
Procurement process.

He said prisons reform was necessary to ensure that Nigerian
Prisons conform to the United Nations minimum standard.

According to him, prisons decongestion is one of the most
important and effective ways to ensure effective prisons reform and
regretted that no fewer than 70 per cent of inmates in Nigerian
prisons are awaiting trial inmates.

He noted that most prisons facilities across the country were
accommodating inmates beyond their capacities, stressing that some
of the facilities were built about 100 years ago

He said that the NPS would concentrate on the issue of
rehabilitation of prisoners, to ensure that they were better
reformed before leaving the penitentiary.

The Minister expressed happiness at the meaningful projects
executed by the Nigerian Prison Service under the leadership of
Ja’afaru Ahmed and enjoined other paramilitary agencies under the
Interior Ministry to emulate the exemplary posture of Prison
Service.

Speaking at the occasion, Chairman of the House of
Representatives Committee on Interior, Hon. Adams Jagaban applauded
the Prison service for doing so much with little budget.

According to him, the strides of the prison service motivated
the committee to push for the passage of the Nigerian Correctional
Service bill which is before Mr President for assent.

“I think the service is lucky to have Ja’afaru Ahmed”, he
said.

In his address, the Controller General of Prisons(CGP) Ja’afaru
Ahmed said in the last three years, the service has been able to
embark on the construction of a number of projects such as new
prisons, state headquarters complexes , student hostels, lecture
halls, stores, new cells, barracks, perimeter fences, watch towers,
and several renovations.

According to the CGP, these are in addition to massive
procurement and distribution of inmates’ uniforms, beds/beddings,
assorted drugs and other sundry items.

“Another area of giant strides is in the purchase of vehicles
where the Service was able to procure 217 vehicles in 2016 and 49
in 2017”, he said.

Ja’afaru Ahmed noted that NPS also procured 116 vehicles in 2018
which were being commissioned today and they include big and mini
Green-Maria, ambulances, sewage trucks, water tankers and utility
vans, adding that the vehicles will be used to convey inmates to
courts and ensure speedy dispensation of justice while providing
emergency health services and other operational activities.

By PRNigeria