TheCable

Oluwatoyin Akinlade, permanent secretary at the ministry of interior, has called on Nigerians to help ex-convicts reintegrate into society.

Akinlade spoke on Friday during a visit to Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) headquarters in Abuja.

She said the inmates had gone through various reformatory and rehabilitation programmes while in custody, thereby changing their orientation and making them better citizens.

Akinlade called on the public to stop stigmatising ex-offenders.

“Rather, they should assist in their re-integration into the society as they have a lot to offer to the development of the society,” she said.

Akinlade expressed satisfaction with inmates’ welfare, particularly their mental health and the vocational skill programmes which help them to be self-employed upon discharge.

“My dream for the Nigerian Correctional Service is, no offender will go back the same or worse,” she added.

Akinlade also said she was passionate about the correctional service and appealed to the management and staff to cooperate with her to take it to great heights.

She pledged to put in her best to ensure that the service is well recognised globally and to promote staff welfare to get the best out of them.

“If you don’t take care of the correctors, you will not get corrections, no morale, no result,” she said.