Commission Advocates Improved Welfare, benefits For Security Personnel

The Anambra Truth, Justice and Peace Commission (ATJPC), in continuation of its public hearing of testimonies on insecurity, violence and violence-related deaths by communities and other stakeholders, has acknowledged the sacrifices of security personnel and called for improving their welfare and providing adequate support to the families of fallen heroes.

The chairman of the commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu made the call during the commission’s session with heads of security agencies in Anambra State.

Professor Odinkalu who affirmed that security personnel sacrifice a lot and even their lives for the nation, pledged that the commission will present and proffer solutions to the government concerning their plights.

Speaking earlier, the Controller, National Correctional Service, Anambra State Command, Usifo E. Joseph, reiterated that correctional service which is part of the justice system is at the receiving angle.

“We are into human re-engineering. Correctional facility should be garbage in, refined out. The youths should be allowed to breathe. There should be total reformation, integration of youths who pass out from correctional centres, back into the society. Train, equip, welcome and accommodate them into the society once they leave the correctional centres.”

Controller Usifo also called on parents to closely monitor and train their children rightly and help curb the menace of hard drugs, violence and crime in the society.

Usifo further commended Governor Soludo for the payment of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), fees for 30 inmates of the Onitsha correctional centre who are preparing to write the exam.

He equally appreciated the Archbishop of Onitsha, Archdiocese and Metropolitan of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, Most Reverend Valerian Maduka Okeke, who recently built and donated skills acquisition centre to Nigerian Correctional Service, Medium Security Custodial Centre, in Onitsha, Anambra State.

He urged other philanthropist in the country to emulate the governor and the bishop in equipping the correctional centres and empowering the inmates.

On his part, the head of operations, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Deputy Commandant Yakubu Ahada who represented the state Commandant, lamented the loss of 7personnel to violence in Anambra between 2021 to 2023,

He urged the commission to intervene in officers’ welfare and security.

On behalf of the commission, the chairman, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, assured the officers that the commission will help to prevent further attacks on security personnel and correctional facilities.