Inmates Express Excitement, Gratitude As NGO Donates Learning Materials To Prison

There was a profound excitement and expression of gratitude from the inmates of Ilesa prison, Osun state, on Wednesday, following the donation of some learning equipment to the prison by Springtime Development Foundation, (SDF), a Non-governmental organisation.

The inmates expressed joy over the gesture, describing it as a clear manifestation of service to humanity, as they collectively pledged to  take advantage of the provision of the learning equipment to enhance their education as well as  vocational skills.

Some of the equipment donated at the prison included : Ten sewing machines, 14 Computers, seven UPS, five extension boxes, two pressings irons, five clippers, ten scissors, one printer, ten packages of tread and a roll of cloths for sewing practice.

The Foundation also donated a sum of N100, 000 to the general welfare of the prison.

Recalls that the foundation had last week visited Ile-Ife Prison where the same learning equipment were donated apart from the mattresses that  were earlier  donated to inmates  this year.

Speaking on behalf of the donor and chairman of the foundation, Dr. Deji Adeleke, the Vice chairman, Mr Banji Adesuyi said the gesture was geared towards equipping the inmates with various skills acquisition so as to be useful to the society after their jail terms.

Adesuyi said the gesture was in a bid to completely rehabilitate inmates in Osun and to encourage them  in order to prepare themselves for total integration into the society, as he urged them to make a judicious use of the equipment.

“Being in jail isn’t the end of the road in one’s life, great men were once in jail too.

“Our gesture is to encourage skill acquisition of the inmates and we promise to do better. We have once distributed mattresses and pillow cases and this is just another set,” he said.

In the same vein,   the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Oyalabu Samuel said the Donor deemed it necessary to share out of the little God has given to him to the needy in order to put smiles on their faces.

Samuel further explained that what they were expecting from the inmates was to become better citizens and to give back to the society, saying if this is done according,  society would be  better off.

Speaking on the alarming state of most of the prisons in Nigeria, a former security adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola,  Barrister  Adekunle Amos charged all  well meaning Nigerians to support the government in its bid to make prison yards a complete rehabilitation arena for inmates.

He urged privileged Nigerians  to emulate the good gesture of the donor, adding that  government alone cannot do it.

In his remarks,  the Deputy Controller in charge of the prison, Mr Ope Fatinikun appreciated the donor,  and prayed for abundant returns from God.

Fatinikun who described the donor as a great philanthropist noted that  the equipment would enhance proper skill acquisition of the inmates and make them to be more resourceful after regaining their freedom.

He thereby urged the inmates to make judicious use of the equipment and concentrate on the learning process.

He however used the occasion to present an award of appreciation to the NGO, saying the award was in recognition of pillow cases, mattresses recently distributed to the inmates and payment of inmates bills.

A representative of the inmates, Isiaka Babatunde, who is also a tailor lauded the good gesture of the donor, and promised to make good use of the equipment to  the admiration of the donor.

The Foundation also presented two computers and one CPU to the Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force, located at  Ayeso Ilesa, where the DPO in charge of the police station, CSP Idowu Adedeji appreciated the gesture and promised to make judicious used of the equipment.