After 31years on the drawing board and intrigues between the land owners, the Imo state government and the authorities of the Nigerian Prisons Service, construction work has commenced on a 38- hectare land for the building of multi-million naira administrative headquarters of the Nigerian Prisons situated in Umuoma, Nekede, Owerri West Local Council of Imo State.
An interim Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the community and officials of the Prisons on the employment indigenes and contracts to be awarded in the feeding of the inmates.
The community, according to the Chairman of Okwu, Umuoma Nekede Welfare Union, Okechukwu Opara; the chairman of the Okwu Youths Town Union, Kamalu Gabriel and a community leader, Kingsley Uwaleke, the land, initially measuring 71 hectares, was donated by the community to the authorities of the Nigerian Prisons Service, in 1986, stressing that state government took possession of about 33 hectares, and earmarked it ‘’Rescue Lay Out’’, leaving 38 for the Prisons to build their administrative headquarters.
All the traditional rites, they disclosed, have been given to the various families in the community. At present, the administrative headquarters of the service is located at Okigwe Road Round About, near Government House, Owerri.
Already, the clearing of the site has begun, and expected to end in 30 days time. Thereafter, fencing and groundbreaking would take place. It was gathered that the service’s departments, including the administration unit, would be erected at the site. Source told The Guardian that all required basic modern amenities would be provided in the proposed edifice.Also, erected at the site is the conspicuous signpost, while armed prisons officials also guard the land, preventing intruders after frisking them.
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Guardian
