Anthony Hannon, Project Officer from Misean Cara has been visiting some of the education and human rights projects we fund in Nigeria. Anthony met with staff at CAPIO (Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organisation) in Enugu State and St Mary’s Nursery and Primary School, run by the Sisters of St Louis in Oyo State.
Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organisation (CAPIO), Enugu State
Prisons in Nigeria are in a deplorable condition. Mostly built in colonial times, they are old, dilapidated and frequently accommodate more than 3 times their capacity. The vast majority of the inmates are not convicted, and inmates can spend years in prison awaiting trial.
The mission of the Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organisation (CAPIO) is to protect the interest of prisoners in Nigeria through advocacy for a reformed judicial system and provision of compassionate, free legal, social welfare and rehabilitation services applying international best practice.
Director of Public Prosecutions of Enugu State, Barrister Chuka Ezike; Anthony Hannon, Misean Cara; Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Enugu State, Metitus Eze; Fr Ambrose Ekeroku OCD (Director of CAPIO) discussed the new criminal justice law in Enugu State.
Since 2013 Misean Cara has supported CAPIO to achieve this mission. This support paid dividends in 2017 when the Enugu Assembly (the governing body of the state) passed a new criminal justice law. This is a landmark law and marks a paradigm shift, away from the current punitive justice system to a system based on restorative justice and rehabilitation. The law provides for speedy dispensation of justice and includes innovations like alternative sentencing and plea bargaining. The law passed in Enugu has been adjudged the most progressive version of all criminal proceedings laws in Nigeria.
The role played by CAPIO in the quality of the bill, bringing all the relevant stakeholders along in its support and in getting it passed through the Enugu Assembly in record time was described by both the Attorney General and the Chief Justice of Enugu as “immense”. CAPIO is now taking a leading role to sensitise both the general public and the arms of the justice system (the police, judiciary, prison officers, judges, etc) about the law and ensure its proper implementation. The expertise of CAPIO is reflected in their participation at national and international events on justice and prison reform. CAPIO have also been requested by other states in Nigeria to support them reform their justice systems and develop their own criminal justice laws.
St Mary’s Nursery and Primary School, Oyo State
Anthony Hannon; Sr Anna Obada; Sr Agnes Kehinde; Sr Rose at St Mary’s Nursery and Primary School, Ijio, Oyo State.
Ijio-Meso is an interior village in Iwajowa Local Government Area. It is situated in the rural northern part of Oyo State in Western Nigeria. There is a lack of access to a decent level of nursery and primary education in the area which contributes to high levels of illiteracy, poverty and child labour.
St Mary’s Nursery and Primary School is run by the Sisters of St Louis and aims to provide a holistic nursery and primary education to enable the local children to advance to secondary school.
Misean Cara has supported the school to provide a better quality education in a more conducive environment. This included the construction of additional classrooms to address overcrowding, a toilet block to improve hygiene and a fence to provide a safe and secure campus for the children.
Special report by Anthony Hannon, Project Officer, Misean Cara.
Photo caption: Students at St Mary’s Nursery and Primary School, Ijio, Oyo State. Photo: Misean Cara.
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