Nigeria’s House of Representatives has passed the second reading of two prison reform bills to allow state governments to establish and take control of correctional services and to provide a parole regime in Nigeria.
The bills have been forwarded to the house committee on correctional services for more legislative impute.
The bills seek to alter the second schedule of the 1999 constitution to remove prison from the exclusive list and establish correctional services in the concurrent list.
The lawmakers said that the reform will go a long way to take care of over crowding in Nigeria correctional institutions when state governments establish and take control of correctional services.
The House also sought the transfer of minimum wage prescription from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list through a bill that has scaled second reading.
To other matters of urgent public importance, the house asked the Minister of Aviation and other relevant agencies to ensure that Warri airport in Delta State is reopened for operations. The
lawmakers also want INEC recognise and conduct subsequent elections for two Sapele state constituencies and Sapele federal constituency in Delta State.