Hon. Chinedu Ogah, member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency and chairman of the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, has praised the resilience of the 28 inmates admitted into the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Special Study Centre, Abakaliki Correctional Centre, Ebonyi State.
Speaking during the official inauguration of the 15th NOUN Special Study Centre, Ogah said imprisonment should not deny anyone the right to education. He pledged full sponsorship through the Chinedu Ogah Foundation, covering tuition, books, and study materials for the 25 undergraduate and 3 postgraduate students.
The lawmaker commended stakeholders supporting prison reforms in Nigeria, noting that education remains a powerful tool for rehabilitation and reintegration. He further applauded Governor Francis Nwifuru’s educational vision, highlighting the governor’s scholarship programmes for postgraduate students within and outside Nigeria.
According to NOUN’s national coordinator for Special Study Centres, Mrs. Modukwe Adesina, more than 2,000 inmates nationwide have benefited from NOUN’s scholarship programme, with 207 graduates from 12 correctional centres so far. The Abakaliki centre becomes the 15th custodial facility to host NOUN programmes.
Representing the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Zonal Coordinator Lolo Prisca Oku said the initiative aligns with the service’s goal of producing reformed, law-abiding citizens. She called for support in providing computers, projectors, e-libraries, and study materials to sustain the centre.
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