President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila have advocated for the delisting of the correctional service centres from the exclusive legislative list of the constitution to the concurrent one.
They noted that unbundling the centres, would enable willing states provide better Correctional Service Centres with good facilities for their people.
Lawan and Gbajabiamila spoke in Abuja at a one-day Roundtable on Reform of the Criminal Justice System of Nigeria, organised by Professor Abubakar Suleiman-led National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).
Represented by Hon. Uzuwagbo Ugonna, Gbajabiamila said, “the scope of the Nigeria Criminal Justice System beginning with the Police, the Courts, the Correctional Service our criminal laws and codes, including human personnel that manage our criminal justice institutions need reforms.”
Disclosing that National Assembly will not opposed the amendment of the Constitution to Correctional Centers, the Speaker said, “as legislators, we will not be opposed to amending the Constitution to remove the establishment and management of Correctional Service Centres from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List.
“This, I believe, will fast tract and decongest our Federal Correctional Centres and enable willing States provide better Correctional Service Centres with better living conditions for their people.”
On the autonomy for State Judiciary, he said: “The autonomy being advocated by our judicial officers across the nation should be granted without delay, to encourage justice without favour. We should consider the creation of special criminal courts.”
On his part, Lawan, who was represented by Senator Solomon Olamilekan said, “no society grows without a productive criminal justice system, considering the additional role the sector plays in maintaining order and in fostering peace.
