Jerome Penbaga Doh, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice in charge of Penitentiary Administration has challenged graduates from the Advanced School of Penitentiary Administration (ENAP) Buea, to ensure vigilance in the discharge of their duties in the wake of infiltrations by Boko Haram elements.

He was speaking at the graduation and epaulette award ceremony to the 1st batch of foreign student-Administrators of Prisons (Gabonese contingent) and the 8th batch of student Chief Warders from ENAP.

The Secretary of State told the Administrators of Prison and Chief Warders to respect the rights of prisoners and other detainees, especially because the Human Rights situation of every country is measured from the way its prisons are threated.

He said the population has to be assured that their lives and properties are secured. As such, he said those who are supposed to be in prison should be there, so as to add value to the country’s justice system.

Graduating at a time when the country is at war against the extremist group Boko Haram, the 64 chief warders were told to beware of Boko Haram suspects who are in detention facilities within the country.

“All escape attempts must be nipped in the bud,” the Secretary said. He stated that government has taken a strong resolve to modernise the prison system. To achieve this, chief warders/wardresses and administrators of prisons must treat inmates well, show a high sense of duty and respect human rights.

He however, underlined the fact that the working relationship between the inmates and the prison staff must be moral, adding that the prisons should serve as a rehabilitation service wherein inmates leave with self-employment skills among others.

Fonkem née Immaculate Manyi Fofung, Administrator General of Prisons, Director of ENAP Buea said the student-Administrators who were graduating started training on March 15, 2013. She said they went through theoretical training in social and penitentiary sciences and blended with practicals in some maximum security prisons in Cameroon.

The Secretary of State said the graduation of the Administrators of Prisons from Gabon is an example of South-South Cooperation, calling on other countries to copy the example.

64 students graduated as Chief Warders with skills in Nursing, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.