An appeal has gone out to companies to give considerations to the skilled personnel from correctional homes across the country to take up skilled labour roles in their various companies to complement government’s efforts of providing jobs for the unemployed youths.
First Lady and Wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun gave the appeal at the 2021 Carol Service of the Borstal Institute, a Correctional Home of the Federal Government in Adigbe, Abeokuta.
The First Lady encouraged the boys to have hope that their future would be better if they took to corrections, be susceptible to change and took their studies and vocations seriously while there.
Mrs. Abiodun said “did you know that Joseph in the bible was also a young boy thrown in the prison but he came out to be the prime minister in Egypt?
So, do not let the fact that you are in the Correctional institute discourage you today. Learn all the things you are being taught here and tell yourself every day “I am better than this, my future is bright.
“Every time I encounter an organization that devotes itself to the development of youths, I am always excited, because impacting the youths today means impacting our tomorrow. It is important that our youths are educated, healthy, employed, and engaged young people who are empowered to advance their own livelihoods and the development of their communities” she added.
In her welcome address, the Controller of Corrections, Mrs. Victoria Fatodu explained that, the Borstal Institution in Abeokuta is the juvenile arm of the Nigerian Correctional Service, with the statutory role of correcting, training, reforming, rehabilitating and reintegrating young offenders who need psychological modification, guidance, adequate monitoring and core teaching about life to grow into useful adults.
She said “this year, the institution registered sixteen students for the May/June 2021 WAEC. The recently released result shows eleven passed with at least seven credits including Mathematics and English Language while the least scoring had five credits with Mathematics.
In the same vein, nineteen students registered and sat for the JAMB, UTME, where the highest scoring student had 271 marks. Eleven out of the nineteen students scored above the 200 benchmark set out for tertiary institution admissions” she added.
Kemi Oyeleye,
Press Officer,
Office of the First Lady.