By Tony Adibe
The Controller of Corrections in Enugu State, Mr Nicholas Obiakor, says sports is a veritable tool for reformation of inmates into mega sports stars that will add value to the society.
Obiakor, who is also the Commander of Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) Enugu State Command, said this yesterday in Enugu while kicking off the Enugu Custodial Centre Annual Inter-Hotels Football Competition.
The controller said that the football competition was also organised to allow them to experience the game they love playing despite being in the correctional centre. He advised the participating teams and individual players to put up good sportsmanship and compete fairly, adding that the competition was meant to promote friendship and love among the inmates.
According to him, the competition will make inmates think less of committing crimes and improve their social life and communication within themselves leading to healthy friendship. “I must appreciate the Controller-General (C-G) of Corrections, Haliru Nababa, for his vision of making sports a cardinal tool for the reform and total transformation of inmates.
“The C-G provided sports facilities as well as its follow-up rehabilitation, reformation and transformation as a great avenue to transform our inmates to assets, making them mega sports stars and laurel winners for our country,” he said.
Speaking, the Officer in-charge of the Enugu Custodial Centre, Mr Sunday Oyakhire, noted that the competition would help to improve the inmates’ physical and mental
health as they would be engulfed in the positive emotion football brings. Oyakhire, who is a Deputy Controller of Corrections, commended the C-G for providing sports facilities especially the custodial centre football pitch and other facilities that made the competition possible.
“We are grateful for all the support our amiable and proactive C-G is giving to the centre and this competition for it to be a huge success,” he said. He said that the competition, which will obey all fair-play rules, is being officiated by FIFA-badged referees and other officials.
The competition, which is involving eight participating team going through a round-rubbing format, would last for one-month. The eight participating teams included: IDR Team, Convict Team, LKP Team, G and M Wards Team, F and J Wards Team, C Team, D Ward Team and N Ward Team.
