Nigerian Correctional Service to recruit 5000 personnel

The Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, on Wednesday said 5,000 personnel will be recruited for the service.

He said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions chaired by Rep Chinedu Ogar, for the defence of the agency’s 2025 budget.

Nwakuche said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had in August 2024 given an approval for the recruitment of 5,000 personnel for the agency.

He, however, informed the lawmakers that the recruitment was delayed due to lack of cash backing to bring new personnel into the service.

However, Ndidi assured lawmakers that the recruitment would soon proceed, contingent on the approval from the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), with the necessary budgetary allocations now included in the 2025 fiscal year.

Committee members, particularly Mr. Victor Ogene of Anambra, expressed their concerns about the ongoing delay, emphasising the critical need for the recruitment to address the challenge of low manpower.

Hon. Ogene urged the correctional service to work more closely with the committee to ensure the swift implementation of the recruitment exercise.

He said, “Some of us have been inquiring for months about whether this recruitment is happening behind closed doors, and we will not accept such an outcome. This process should be transparent and timely,” Ogene stated.

While responding, Ndidi attributed the delay to the lack of cash backing, which had prevented the service from hiring the 5,000 new personnel despite the presidential directive.

However, he reiterated that the process would begin once funding is officially confirmed.