Chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP), in the South West, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo on Sunday put smiles on the faces of staff and inmates of Agodi Correctional Centre Ibadan, Oyo State as he celebrated his birthday with them.Ajadi donated foods, drinks and essentials such as medicine, detergents, toiletries, solar lights among others to the centre to improve the conditions and well beings of the inmates and the staff.He also gave gifts to best behaved male and female inmates, and trophies to the winners of the football and table tennis champions sponsored by his Foundation.While working with the authority of Agodi Correctional Centre to free seven inmates by paying their fines, Ajadi promised to help provide solar panel and inverters to power the solar borehole at the centre, and a bus to the centre.Speaking after the donation, Ajadi said that he was there to celebrate his birthda to make the inmates happy and feel the good atmosphere of celebration.“I started the idea of celebrating my birthday at correctional centres two years ago at Ibara Correctional Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State.“You know we have been celebrating my birthday with large number of people, giving them food and drinks, but two years ago, I changed that, we started looking at people in correctional centres and we believe that we should make them happy.“I believe they have been separated from their families for one reason or the other. That was what brought us to Agodi Correctional Centre this year.“I know the government alone cannot provide the needs of the correctional centres and so I made up my mind that at least once in a year, on my birthday, I will make the inmates happy.“The inmates have been abandoned. Nobody gives them recognition. They are the people that needed to be celebrated. That is why we started this celebration two years ago at Ibara Correctional Centre.“Going round Agodi Correctional Centre in Ibadan today, I am not happy with what I saw. The condition of the inmates is nothing to write home about. If you see where they are staying, it is not the best.“I know that the government is trying, but they should do more. We see how people in the correctional centres in developed countries are treated. I plead with the Federal Government to do more for the inmates for the period they will stay there in the centres.“I also want to implore the Federal Government to please recognise those working at the centres and give them better working conditions. I want the government to treat warders the same way they treat the police and the military, especially in terms of renumeration.“The government should improve the facilities in our correctional centres because it is not all the inmates that are condemned criminals.“We have many people there awaiting trials who have not been pronounced guilty of any offence. At the end of the day, some of these people may not be found guilty of the offences they are remanded for.“I know President Bola Tinubu’s administration is a listening one and they will improve the conditions of the correctional centres.“I also call on well meaning Nigerians to help the government in providing adequate facilities in the correctional centres. They won’t carry money to heaven. They should put smiles on the faces of inmates at least once in a while,” Ajadi said.
