Rep marks birthday with prisoners

A member of the House of Representatives, Rep Abiodun Akinlade, has said that he chose to celebrate his birthday with prisoners as a way of giving a sense of belonging to the deprived in the society.

The lawmaker representing Egbado South /Ipokia Federal Constituency recently celebrated his 47th birthday by presenting vocational materials, worth several millions of naira, to the inmates of the Ilaro Prisons “for them to learn trades and acquire skills ahead of their integration with the civil society after their terms.”

Speaking on the ongoing national conference, Akinlade said there could never be too much negotiation for peace and progress in the country, adding that the reports of proceedings should be turned to the National Assembly for legislative action.
He assured that such resolutions emanating from the Confab would be deliberated upon when forwarded to the National Assembly and be accorded priority.

He, therefore, urged the delegates to put the interest of the country at the back of their minds in the course of their deliberations.
On why he chose to mark his birthday in prison yard, Akinlade, who is the current chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, said: “I have been celebrating my birthday with friends and relatives in comfort of my home in the past but my family and I resolved to put smiles on the faces of prisoners and the less privileged in the orphanages this time around.

“We discover that this set of people is detached from the society and most of them are mere victims of circumstances. They needed to be given the hope that they would be reintegrated into the society after their jail term.
“Our prisons should be reformative and not punitive and this is why we have chosen to celebrate my birthday with the presentation of these vocational items to the inmates.”