Abuja, Jan. 17, 2018 (NAN) Mr Samuel Oni, a corps member serving in Osun, on Thursday inaugurated a community development project tagged the « Rehab Project » to rehabilitate and integrate 20 ex-convicts back into the society.
This was disclosed by Oni in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo, South West Nigeria.
NAN reports that Oni is a corps member currently serving with state ministry of justice.
Oni said that he took it upon himself, as a serving corps member and a lawyer to give back to the society through the project.
He said the project entails empowering the ex-convicts by setting them up with trades and vocations.
He said through research, it was discovered that ex-convicts, after serving their prison terms always return to prison by committing another crime.
The corps member attributed this to lack of proper reformation and rehabilitation.
He said project would also reach out to awaiting trial prisoners and help secure their release where necessary.
« The programme will also train ex-convicts with life and vocational skills, in order to rehabilitate and integrate them back into the society.
« We intend to empower the ex-convicts to be financially independent, and also groom them into agents of progress, innovation and transparency needed to build a new Nigeria.
« We have mapped out a plan for expanding this project to other states in the country, by establishing an organisation « The Rehab Foundation, » to carryout reformative works in Nigeria.
He said the project would start with convicts to be released from Ilesa Prison on Monday, Jan. 21 and rehabilitation of 20 ex-convicts between January and July.
He said that he was working with some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the Legal Aid Council and Humanitarian serve organisations to provide needed supports for the ex-convicts.
Oni however appealed to the government and private organisations to partner with him to raise funds for the project.
Mr Sharafa Ajibade, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Osogbo branch in his remarks lauded the initiative.
Ajibade called for more initiatives and programmes from other corps members towards reforming lives of ex-convicts and make them more useful to the society.
