REBUILDING NIGERIA’S IMAGE THE JOY BRINGERS’ WAY
It is no news that security has become a rising concern to nations and one of the threats to global peace and progress. It’s affected even the big game changers like America, Europe, Britain and so on. Down the road to the developing countries in Asia and Africa, security has taken a far bigger toll on the people, their lives and wellbeing.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa is one of the worst hit in the recent trend of global insecurity, crime and now terrorism. The real causes are not far fetched; from dwindling economy to unemployment, visionless leadership, surging population, and so on.
The country’s prison service (now called correctional service) has become unduly stretched as a result of the rising number of arrest and convictions. The facilities that were initially designed for fewer number of inmates have had to accommodate sometimes up to a triple number of the intended capacity.
Similarly, the ability of the prison service to optimally correct the behavior of inmates through well thought out programs have also failed to yield significant result due to shortage of manpower, lack of training tools and materials, lack of motivation of personnel, inability to apply time tested behavioral change theories that has worked in other countries. As a result, Nigeria’s correctional service have resorted to fate while occasionally watching the inmates go back to the society unchanged. Toughened by the negative experiences within the correctional facilities, most inmates have actually become more assertive and sophisticated in their tendencies to commit crime after their stay in prison. This accounts for the recent cases in Nigeria when some recently released inmates were involved in bigger bigger crime, fraud and internet scam.
This situation has continued to score Nigeria very low, and negatively affecting her image among comity of nations as being not seriously committed to improving it's security situation. This might not be unconnected with the recent spate of travel bans and all manner of restrictions being placed on the country.
In the face of this helplessness, an organization has risen to the challenge of changing Nigeria's status quo.
The Joy Bringers Foundation (JBF) founded by one of Nigeria's pioneer character ambassador, Dr Jude Ememe, is gradually changing the face of correctional experience in Nigeria.
Launched nearly a decade ago, the organization has partnered the Nigeria Correctional Service towards addressing the seeming 'go home as you come' syndrome that has characterized the agency.
Equipped with a well dedicated and committed team, the JBF has touched all facets of prison facilities in Lagos State for instance, and changing many lives at a time.
Their courses ranging from character building, anger management, self discovery and personal development, leadership, enterpreneural studies and so on, come to inmates at no cost. Successful graduands from the programs are awarded certificates of performance, and are decorated as character ambassadors.
Not satisfied with the in-service trainings and character moulding alone, the organization has extended it's support program to individuals after release from the correctional facilities. This post-service care has particularly supported prior inmates to secure jobs and to be integrated successfully into the society without posing as threat to lives and well-being.
Impressed by the uncommon successes of this organization a group of people named Friends of Joy Bringers (FJB) have recently come together to rally support to Joy Bringers Foundation to continue to sustain it's operations to the rising inmates population in Nigeria, and to encourage it to expand it's highly enriching activities to facilities in other States of Nigeria.
The Friends of Joy Bringers is a volunteer support group of like minds who are willing to partner with JBF in it's efforts to gradually rebuild Nigeria's image and make the country a safe haven to both citizens and visitors.
There's however, a high need for the government at all levels in Nigeria to partner actively with the Joy Bringers Foundation to radically transform the experience of inmates in Nigeria's correctional facilities.
Such partnership with a committed indigenous organization like the Joy Bringers Foundation is to me, a low hanging fruit that can be optimized by government of the day to change the outlook of crime preventing and the fight against insecurity and terrorism in a most effective and result oriented way.
Dr. Chigozie Iwuagwu is a member of Friends of Joy Bringers.
www.joybringersfoundation.org.ng
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa is one of the worst hit in the recent trend of global insecurity, crime and now terrorism. The real causes are not far fetched; from dwindling economy to unemployment, visionless leadership, surging population, and so on.
The country’s prison service (now called correctional service) has become unduly stretched as a result of the rising number of arrest and convictions. The facilities that were initially designed for fewer number of inmates have had to accommodate sometimes up to a triple number of the intended capacity.
Similarly, the ability of the prison service to optimally correct the behavior of inmates through well thought out programs have also failed to yield significant result due to shortage of manpower, lack of training tools and materials, lack of motivation of personnel, inability to apply time tested behavioral change theories that has worked in other countries. As a result, Nigeria’s correctional service have resorted to fate while occasionally watching the inmates go back to the society unchanged. Toughened by the negative experiences within the correctional facilities, most inmates have actually become more assertive and sophisticated in their tendencies to commit crime after their stay in prison. This accounts for the recent cases in Nigeria when some recently released inmates were involved in bigger bigger crime, fraud and internet scam.
This situation has continued to score Nigeria very low, and negatively affecting her image among comity of nations as being not seriously committed to improving it's security situation. This might not be unconnected with the recent spate of travel bans and all manner of restrictions being placed on the country.
In the face of this helplessness, an organization has risen to the challenge of changing Nigeria's status quo.
The Joy Bringers Foundation (JBF) founded by one of Nigeria's pioneer character ambassador, Dr Jude Ememe, is gradually changing the face of correctional experience in Nigeria.
Launched nearly a decade ago, the organization has partnered the Nigeria Correctional Service towards addressing the seeming 'go home as you come' syndrome that has characterized the agency.
Equipped with a well dedicated and committed team, the JBF has touched all facets of prison facilities in Lagos State for instance, and changing many lives at a time.
Their courses ranging from character building, anger management, self discovery and personal development, leadership, enterpreneural studies and so on, come to inmates at no cost. Successful graduands from the programs are awarded certificates of performance, and are decorated as character ambassadors.
Not satisfied with the in-service trainings and character moulding alone, the organization has extended it's support program to individuals after release from the correctional facilities. This post-service care has particularly supported prior inmates to secure jobs and to be integrated successfully into the society without posing as threat to lives and well-being.
Impressed by the uncommon successes of this organization a group of people named Friends of Joy Bringers (FJB) have recently come together to rally support to Joy Bringers Foundation to continue to sustain it's operations to the rising inmates population in Nigeria, and to encourage it to expand it's highly enriching activities to facilities in other States of Nigeria.
The Friends of Joy Bringers is a volunteer support group of like minds who are willing to partner with JBF in it's efforts to gradually rebuild Nigeria's image and make the country a safe haven to both citizens and visitors.
There's however, a high need for the government at all levels in Nigeria to partner actively with the Joy Bringers Foundation to radically transform the experience of inmates in Nigeria's correctional facilities.
Such partnership with a committed indigenous organization like the Joy Bringers Foundation is to me, a low hanging fruit that can be optimized by government of the day to change the outlook of crime preventing and the fight against insecurity and terrorism in a most effective and result oriented way.
Dr. Chigozie Iwuagwu is a member of Friends of Joy Bringers.
www.joybringersfoundation.org.ng
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