Twenty-three inmates of the Enugu Custodial Centre bagged Masters, first degree and Post Graduate Diploma of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, on Saturday.
Five of them bagged the Master’s degree, 17 bagged their first degrees, while one got a Post-Graduate Diploma from the NOUN’s study centre at the custodial facility after completing their various courses within four or five years.
State Coordinator of NOUN, Nigerian Correctional Service, Jennifer Nwonyi who presented the degrees and diploma to the graduates at a virtual convocation held at the Enugu Custodial Centre noted that the graduates had defied all odds to attain the great heights.
She said she was overwhelmed with joy that God granted the students the grace to successfully complete their studies and overcome the psychological challenge of attending to rigours of years study while being held at the custodial centre.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Deputy Comptroller of Corrections in charge of the Enugu Maximum Custodial Centre, Sunday Oyakhire thanked NOUN for organising the courses and for providing facilitators.
In his remarks, Arinzechukwu Onovo, the correctional centre’s Desk Officer for NOUN programmes, encouraged the graduates to continue to search for knowledge as the key to unlock many potentials.