Gombe ANGO Chair urges Govt on Remand Home for minors
Chima Azubuike
The Chairman Association of Non Governmental Organisations in Gombe State, Ibrahim Yusuf, on Tuesday, urged the State Government to make its remand centre functional.
Our correspondent reports that remand home refers to a place where juvenile offenders are kept due to their ages and are guided through counselling sessions to become better persons.
He decried situations where offenders are taken to custodial centres, thereby leaving them at the mercy of condemned criminals.
Yusuf made this plea during his goodwill message at the handing over of renovated safety shelter for victims of Gender-Based Violence, located at Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development by United Nations Population Fund.
He said, “We don’t have a functional remand home in the state, where our children will be kept when they commit any crime even today, I was discussing with honourable commissioner about a case involving a 12-year-old at Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and they are preparing to take him to court for stealing.
“He is not supposed to be taken there because if he is taken to court definitely he will be sent to remand home and there is no functional remand home in the state. He may be taken to the prison (custodial centre), and instead of re-orientating, rehabilitating him, will be a training ground for him to become hardened.”
While explaining the gains of such centre to the wellbeing of minors, Yusuf urged the State Government to renovate the centre before 29th of May 2023.
“We are calling on the state government to make sure that before May 29, we are appealing let have a functional remand home for the children because it’s a serious problem.
“The remaining children we have in remand home are living in prison (custodial centre) and it’s not supposed to be so. We are calling on stakeholders to make this happen,” Yusuf urged.
On his part, UNFPA representative in charge of Kaduna Sub Office, Dr Awoke Tasew-Tebeje, said the shelter was renovated to bring succour to victims of GBV in the state.
Tasew-Tebej urged the State Government to replicate such centre across the 11 local government areas, in order to solve the needs of victims within their immediate environment.
He disclosed that UNFPA works in three key areas of prevention, protection and provision of services.
Tasew-Tebej said, “We have to make sure there is no gender-based violence but if it happens. This is a safe heaven to victims of violence and they will be connected with the legal system to make sure the perpetrators are brought to justice. They will be connected with the healthcare referral system and psycho-support services.
“Such services should be closer to the communities.In the future, is better we take the shelter closer to the communities to access this service. This should really be a model for other states.”
THIS IS WONDERFUL ANGO CHAIR, IM SURE THE STATE GOVERNMENT WILL BE SO HAPPY WITH OUR COMPLIMENTRY/ADVISORY ROLE .I KNOW ITS HIS Excellency’s PASSION TOO.