The National Open University of Nigeria on Thursday matriculated 14 inmates of the Ibara Custodial Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State into different courses of study during its 22nd matriculation ceremony.
The ceremony which was held inside a hall within the Ibara Custodial Centre saw the undergraduates donning academic gowns and later took the students oath admitted on them by the principal assistant registrar, Mr. Ayokunle Ola, who represented the NOUN registrar, Mr. Felix Edoka at the event.
The Deputy Controller in charge of Ibara Custodial Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Mr. Bamidele Oshin, disclosed that 14 undergraduate inmates have been offered admission for different courses such as Political Science, Public Administration, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Mass Communication, Human Kinetics, Information Technology and Philosophy.
He added that currently a total of 76 inmates are studying different courses at the NOUN study centre located within the Ibara Custodial Centre.
Oshin said, “The 14 inmates who matriculated are from two of our facilities; Borstal training Centre, Adigbe and the Ibara Custodial Centre, both in Abeokuta. Six are from the Borstal training Centre while 8 are from the Ibara Custodial Centre.
“Currently we have 76 inmates in Ogun State that are study different courses of study at NOUN. Four of them are pursuing master’s degree programmes, while others are undergraduates.”
The Deputy Controller thanked the authorities of NOUN for choosing Ibara Custodial Centre as one of the study centres in Correctional facilities in the country, while he charged the students to consider their admission as a rare privilege, among their colleagues.
He pointed out there might be challenges on the way but they have to be “serious minded, committed and be role models to others.”
He noted that the correctional centres are to reform and rehabilitate the inmates stating that education “is part of reformation.”
The Deputy Controller noted that “the matriculation is in tandem with the Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa mni administration’s policy to reform inmates.
On his own part, the Vice-Chancellor, NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, congratulated the matriculants and said they were part of over 20,000 students being matriculated at all its different study centres across the country for the 22nd matriculation ceremony.
He said NOUN study mode allowed for flexibility, as students learn at their pace and their choice places.
Prof. Peters who was represented by the Director of the Abeokuta Study Centre, NOUN, Dr. Adeleke Oba-Adenuga also charged the students to take their studies seriously, stating they should however feel free to ask questions through the feedback mechanism to be offered by the institution in the study centre at the correctional facility.
The Representative of the Bursar at the event, Mr. Adebola Adesanya, who is the Deputy bursar, said the lucky inmates would enjoy tuition-free study as the government would foot all their academic bills.
Other correctional officers in the state present at the event include the Deputy Controller of Corrections, James Ogunmoyede, Assistant Superintendent of Corrections, Abduakeem Awesu who is the Custodial Centre desk officer and many others.