Osun State Government has offered a fresh lease of life to some former inmates pardoned by Governor Ademola Adeleke, equipping them with Point-of-Sale (POS) machines and financial support to enable them to establish small businesses.
The intervention, facilitated by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, is designed to move the beneficiaries beyond the limitations of their past and provide them with legitimate means of livelihood as they reintegrate into society.
The beneficiaries were among inmates granted pardon by Adeleke last year as part of the administration’s efforts to promote rehabilitation and allow deserving prisoners to rebuild their lives after incarceration.
Akinleye, while presenting the business equipment and cash assistance, said the objective was not merely to provide temporary relief but to create a pathway through which the beneficiaries could become self-reliant and economically productive.
He said successful rehabilitation must extend beyond the release of inmates, arguing that former prisoners needed practical opportunities to rebuild their lives and regain their place in society.
‘The essence of this intervention is to give these beneficiaries a genuine opportunity to start afresh, become self-reliant and contribute positively to society,’ Akinleye said.
According to him, economic empowerment remained critical to preventing former inmates from returning to circumstances that could jeopardise their reintegration.
‘When people are given a second chance, we must also give them the opportunity and the tools to make that second chance count. Economic empowerment is critical to successful reintegration,’ he added.
‘The beneficiaries had also participated in the mobilisation and campaign activities of the administration during the 2026 governorship election, canvassing support for Adeleke across communities, markets and streets in the state.’
Their participation in the election campaign was said to have been considered in the decision to extend the empowerment package to them following Adeleke’s successful re-election.
To ensure that the assistance produces lasting results, a monitoring team has been constituted to follow the beneficiaries and assess the performance of their businesses over a period ranging from three to 24 months, he stated.
The arrangement is expected to enable the government to monitor how the beneficiaries deploy the POS machines and capital while identifying challenges that could threaten the sustainability of their businesses.
One of the beneficiaries, who expressed appreciation to Akinleye and the state government, described the intervention as an opportunity to turn a new page.
‘We are grateful for this opportunity.
‘The support will help us start something meaningful and give us hope for a better future,’ the beneficiary said.
‘ The initiative reflects a broader emphasis by the Adeleke administration on rehabilitation, human capital development and economic empowerment, with the government’.
He added that governance should also address the needs of vulnerable citizens seeking opportunities to rebuild their lives.
For the beneficiaries, he stressed, the intervention represents more than the distribution of business equipment and cash, saying it offers them an opportunity to replace the stigma of their past with productive livelihoods and demonstrate that a second chance, when matched with opportunity, can lead to a different future.