No fewer than 26 inmates at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos State, have graduated from the National Open University of Nigeria in various disciplines.
The inmates, who received their certificates at the convocation ceremony organised by the institution on July 13, 2023, were pronounced graduates after the completion of their various programmes for the 2022/2023 academic session.
They comprised of three females and 23 males who had undertaken courses for both Masters Degrees, Post Diploma in Education, and undergraduate degrees.
It was gathered that three inmates graduated with Second Class Upper Division, while another one completed a Master’s Degree programme in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.
Speaking at the ceremony, Adekunle Ogungbe, who represented the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, praised the management of the facility for giving the inmates such an opportunity.
He said such feats should be emulated by other inmates yet to undertake any programme with the institution.
According to him, other inmates should seize the opportunity and maximise their time by emulating their graduating colleagues.
He said, “As they are seeing their colleagues and counterparts being celebrated today, they have to be emulated or be motivated to register with us. Once they register with us, learning has started.
“Those that are here are still going through a trial for one offense or another, but as you know, education is a tool to facilitate moral changes, overall learning, and development of the individual.
“So once the mind of the individual is developed, it means that there is going to be a change in character and behavior and when there is a change in character and behaviors, we are saying that, the person has learned.”
(Punch)
