The Rivers State Government has pledged assistance to the Nigeria Prisons and Immigration Services, as it has disclosed plans to complete the Omoku Prisons, and also donate land for a new Immigration Office in Greater Port Harcourt area.
The state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, made the pledge when he played host to the new Comptroller of Prisons in the State, Mr John Mbrabure at Government House, yesterday in Port Harcourt.
The governor expressed sadness at the poor state of the Port Harcourt Prisons with attendant overcrowding, poor facilities and health condition of inmates.
He said, “I know that during the period the courts were shut I understand what the prisons must have faced.”
Wike observed that the state government cannot overlook the situation, hence, the need to support the Federal Government in improving the condition of the prisons, especially those in the state.
Against this backdrop, he promised to provide logistics, vehicles and communication gadgets, while declaring that government will support in completion of Omoku Prisons, which according to Mbrabure is 80 per cent completed.
Aside that, the governor also said the state Ministry of Works will help in the reinforcement of Degema Prisons, which according to him, will help reduce the pressure on Port Harcourt prisons.
Earlier, the Comptroller of Prisons in the  state, Mr John Mbrabure had decried the congestion in the Port Harcourt Prisons originally built for 800 inmates but now accommodating 3,573 inmates.
Out of the figure, he said, over 3,000 inmates are awaiting trial, as he called on government to assist in the area of constant justice and jail delivery to reduce the pressure on the facilities.
He also sought the need for the Prisons Service to be incorporated in the monthly state security meetings because of the sensitive nature of their operations in checking crimes and other social vices.
In the same vein, Governor Wike has pledged to provide land in the Greater Port Harcourt area to house the new Immigration Service office.
The pledge came following a request by the new Immigration Comptroller in the state, Mr Ishaka Haliru.
Haliru had lamented that the Federal Secretariat Complex at Aba Road can no longer house the operations of the body in Rivers State.
With a new Passport and Alien Office established in the state, Haliru submitted that the command needed spacious accommodation for its staff.
He called for partnership between the state government and the Immigration service in the area of revenue, especially in providing valuable data of foreign investments, nationals and expatriates.
While responding to his request for the command to be incorporated into the State Security Council meeting, Wike said, “there is no arm of security now that is not important. You play a major role in monitoring migrants.”