From Esther Akaa, Lafia
A religious group, Prison Fellowship Nigeria, says the high rate of crimes in the country would be reduce if parents and guardians provide the necessary orientation and regularly watch over their children’s activities.
The Coordinator, Lafia Care Group of the PFN, Pastor Sam-Praise Udeh, stated this on Saturday during the graduation ceremony of 42 inmates who were lectured for two months on “The Prisoner’s Journey and The Sycamore Tree Project ” held at the Medium Security Custodian Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Lafia, the state capital.
According to him, the worrisome rise in crime in country including Nasarawa State was cause for concern and urged parents and guardians to closely watch their kids and wards as they went about their everyday lives.
“I feel that as parents, we can work towards decongesting our correctional facilities by training our children in the way of God. Because when we train them in the right way, they will not engage themselves in crime. Rather, they will do meaningful things that will help the society to be developed.
“The security issues we are facing in Nasarawa State is enormous. Armed robbery, kidnapping and the rest of them. We are aware that the security agencies are making efforts to provide adequate security for the residents, but I think we also have our roles to play as parents for our dear Nasarawa state and county to be free from crime,” Udeh said.
“We are here today for the graduation ceremony of 42 inmates comprising thirty-five males and seven females who are trained on two academic courses; The Prisoner’s Journey and The Sycamore Tree Project.
“They are also given certificates and each of them got a brand new bible from the PFN. The two programmes are aimed at providing spiritual renaissance in the lives of the inmates and reuniting them with God,” he said.
On her part, the Correctional Centre’s Deputy Controller, Administration, Mary Mereh, thanked the PFN for the both programmes and pledged the commitment of the Service to the welfare of the inmates through public-private partnerships to make life more meaningful for them, while urging the graduating inmates to practice what they were taught during the programmes.
The Voice reports that the prisoners who could not contain their happiness at the graduation ceremony danced to songs during a praise and worship session organised by a group of singers.
