Bishop Kayode Williams, Founder/Director-General of the Prison Rehabilitation Mission International (PREMI), has impressed on faith-based organisations across the country to step up efforts aimed at assisting prison inmates in terms of welfare in order to give them a sense of belonging.

The clergy gave this charge recently when he led other executive members of PREMI including Senior Pastor Dr. Silas Falokun and his wife, International Evangelist Mrs. Sijuade Falokun, among others on a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Ilesa, Osun State.

The visit, which was at the behest of the Osun State Coordinator of PREMI, Pastor Ajibade Obadare, is part of the sensitisation programme and regular housekeeping by PREMI at correctional centres across the country.

The PREMI team, who were received by the Deputy Controller of Osun state Correctional Centre, Mr. Saudje O. J. also visited some of the cells, where they met a woman awaiting trial for fraud (name withheld), recently delivered of a baby.

While carrying out the child dedication ceremony, Bishop Williams observed that the facilities did not cater adequately for the care and support of nursing babies in prison custodies.

"I observed that many correctional centres across the country don't have budget for babies' upkeep. The prison facilities are not capable of taking care of babies whose mothers' are serving various jail terms. Both mothers and their kids live under very dehumanising situations and have to survive at the mercies of public-spirited Nigerians, who supply food stuffs and that's not the kind of food they need at that point in their lives.

"I therefore appeal to faith based organisations to be ready to do more because from what we have seen there is a lot of room for improvement in the area of welfare. This is the situation all over the correctional centres across the country. These babies need proper duty of care because they are young children who are innocent citizens. They normally stay with their mother's to be weaned on breast milk before they go for foster care. I strongly appeal to donors to include baby welfare items like diapers, pampers, baby food, etc.

"On our part at PREMI, we pledged to sponsor the child up to the university level. We plan to open an account for the baby through the mother. While we appreciate the generosity of Dr. Silas Falokun, who has promised to support the upkeep of the baby, we also appeal to other public-spirited Nigerians to lend their support to this noble cause," he stressed.

PREMI which has successfully operated in Nigeria for over 38 years, providing the required assistance and helping to secure the release of hundreds of prisoners and detainees, presently has branches in Texas where the Osun State-born Dr. Silas Olayiwola Falokun volunteers as coordinator, supervising North and South America.