Nigeria spends N14,000 daily to feed each prisoner – Minister


Nigerian government is annually spending N10billion for feeding of prisoners in the country, minister of Interior, AbdurRahman Dambazau has said.

With the country’s estimated prison population of 57,000, the government is roughly spending N14,000 for a three-square meal of each prisoner per day.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Kaduna on Tuesday, Mr Dambazau said his ministry is searching inward to see how it can harness some revenue sources in the sector to complement government’s efforts.

“It is unacceptable for government to be commiting N10 billion every year on feeding of prison inmates,” Mr Dambazau said.


However, while defending the 2018 budget, before the members of the Senate Committee on Interior, the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Prisons Service, Ahmed Ja’afaru, stated that N17 billion was allocated for feeding which is to spread across 244 prisons.

In a reaction, Senator Chukwuka Utazi decried the little budgetary allocation given to prisoners in the country which he had noticed over time.

Senator Utazi noted that the treatment given to the prison inmates “would make them gradually become a menace” when they are eventually released into the society.

“In 2015, I told the former CG about this because I over see also the human rights and we go to prisons and we see these things ourselves. I raised this issue of prison food ration. It is a serious issue that I think if you get it right; it would help a whole lot of things,” Utazi said.


“You have 17 billion here spread across 244 prisons. It is 244 with all the population there and we have 17 billion, I want to find out, what is the present ration per head,” the Enugu state lawmaker asked.

The Comptroller-General explained that the N300 was for the actual meal and N150 is expended on cooking.

Irked by his response, Senator Utazi called for a review of the allocation for feeding for prisoners.

“450 for one day? For an adult? Mr. Chairman, this is outrageous. This is unacceptable, unthinkable and unheard of. This committee will not be a party to this kind of budget. It is totally embarrassing that adults that you send to the prison, they have 300 meals. Is it for a baby or for who?


“I feel that we are getting it wrong. That is part of the problem we are having in the country. You send people to go and be reformed, they come out hardened and they become a menace t our society.”

He said: “Mr. chairman, I feel that you are going to take this thing up on our behalf to get to the budget office. The minister of planning and this thing has to be reviewed. Today, in most of the prisons are at the mercy of benevolent people who send food to prison inmates and I don’t know how many of them are out there doing such.

“This is for 2017, we are yet to get to 2018 and see what they are just doing here. I am of the opinion that we have a total review. Anything that is not in the neighbourhood of giving this people minimum of 500 per meal is not acceptable.

“In a day N1,500 per inmate. These are human beings and our brothers. Yes, they are deviants but they remain our brothers and we want them to come out unless you want them to remain in the prison forever. There is no way the federal republic of Nigeria should be budgeting N450 per head,” he added.


The committee also the queried the printing of Nigerian passport outside the country by the Immigration Service.

https://dailynigerian.com/news/nigeria-spends-n14000-daily-to-feed-each-prisoner-minister/amp/

Cc: Lalasticlala

What does the average prisoner contribute to the system?
I don't think feeding a prisoner with N1,500/day is fair to tax paying Nigerians who earn N30,000/month to cover feeding, transport, medical, housing e.t.c.
Even the current amount is being cornered by national-cake eaters.

Lies

Lol hear lies. Those people don't eat up to 50naira food per day. Do you see how skinny they are?

This mad man with Samanja moustache should be the worst minister in this worthless government of Baboons led by Buhari, just imagine this demonic lies peddled against these hapless souls. If only any one here had seen a newly released Nigerian prison inmates you will shed tears for days and continually curse this beast called Dambazzau

Yeah, right. That means they must be feeding them Chinese fried rice & chicken with chilled wine daily be dat. How many Nigerians walking freely spend that much to feed weekly sef, not to talk of daily?? They might as well lockup the rest of the population so they can get their share of the 14k daily.

Our leaders have taken us all for fools, hence they lie to our faces cause they assume we are all dumb. 14k daily on malnourished prisoners in Nija is a lie even a blind person knows.

Another big lie for Sunday morning

These people just take us as fools

Is the money for feeding the prisoners or contractors to the prison service

Buhari Back to Daura. BBA

Then allow private sector to handle operations of prisons

Desyner:
What does the average prisoner contribute to the system?
I don't think feeding a prisoner with N1,500/day is fair to tax paying Nigerians who earn N30,000/month to cover feeding, transport, medical, housing e.t.c.
Even the current amount is being cornered by national-cake eaters.

Cause it is Nigeria. The corruption fighting baba will not see this one

Oga Minister, you see this lie ehn. Even devil dey respect am.

Lie mohammed indeed is your colleague.

Corruption. Bring it down to N200 per day.

These ministers or rather govt officials can lie. #14,000 to feed each prisoners daily? and at the end they look like an AIDS patient when released. Liars everywhere.

The CG Prison - Northern Muslim
The CG Immigration - Northern Muslim
The CG Custom - Northern Muslim
The CG Civil Defense Corp - Northern Muslim(Niger State)
The IG Police - Northern Muslim(Niger State)
And all this under the office of Interior Minister - Northern Muslim

So where then is the checks and balances?
That is a first in Nigeria history and you can only get that when you have an accursed goblin parading himself as a president!

I see, No wonder that prisoners looks so fresh & well kept, like someone that just came back from Yanky for a long holiday.

I just want God to punish these liars that are not putting efforts on their lies to get us convinced. haba which kine lie b dis.

They should treat prisoners right jare. Please guys how much does the Nigerian Prison Service pay a Bsc graduate?

Can this lies be truth.

P ?Whoever runs nigerian prison system should be in Prisons by now


i doubt they spend upto 1k on prisoners daily

this 14k figure is a big fat lie

Hmmm 14k per day nah prison yard never full reach gate?Oga minister

He means 14k per year

Subtract N500 from the N14,000. Those malnourished prisoners don’t eat anything close to N600 meal per day in the prisons. Those who survive do so because of occasional meals and treats from relatives, NGOs and religious organisations.

They should account for the N13,500 that get siphoned into heaven knows where.

They now eat buffet in Nigerian prisons under Buhari

Even the Average American does not spend 14 thousand Naira a day to feed himself

lol na to turn prisoner be that nau!

Common sense! How can 14k feed a prisoner daily and the minimum wage in the country per month is 18k? Hahahahaha

you people will tell lies now and when NLC demand for more for the tax payer, you will start saying something else. Nigeria can't spend 300 naira for a prisoner daily.

Desyner:
What does the average prisoner contribute to the system?
I don't think feeding a prisoner with N1,500/day is fair to tax paying Nigerians who earn N30,000/month to cover feeding, transport, medical, housing e.t.c.
Even the current amount is being cornered by national-cake eaters.

It will surprise you that more than 50% of that money goes into personal accounts of prison officials