Leadnaija
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved and directed the recruitment of 5,000 new personnel as it makes efforts strengthen its services and address overcrowding in its facilities.
Acting Comptroller of the Service, Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche Ndidi made the disclosure on Wednesday as he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions.
Ndidi explained that even as the approval for the recruitment had been granted since August 2024, the process is being delayed due to shortfall in funding, which he said hampered the Service’s ability to meet the salary and allowances of the expected new new recruits.
He however assured the committee that the recruitment would proceed based on the approval from the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), if followed with the necessary budgetary allocations as proposed in the 2025 budget.
Committee members, particularly Mr. Victor Ogene of Anambra, expressed their concerns about the ongoing delay, emphasizing the critical need for the recruitment to address the persistent overcrowding in correctional facilities across the country.
Responding to specific questions o the delay in spite of huge shortfall of personnel, Ndidi insisted that it was due to lack of cash backing.
“With President Tinubu’s directive now in place and the necessary financial provisions in the 2025 budget, the Nigerian Correctional Service is poised for a significant transformation”, he said.
The committee had earlier, through its Chairman, Hon. Chinedu Ogar, demanded from the Acting Comptroller General, issues surrounding the budgetary performance of the Service in 2024 and why the approved recruitment was yet to be effected.Tap Here To Read Full Details
