Archbishop of the Church of God Mission International (CGMI), Most Reverend Margaret Benson-Idahosa, has donated a solar-powered borehole to the Oko Correctional Centre Service (CCS), in Benin City, Edo State.
The project, inaugurated as part of activities marking her 83rd birthday, is to provide a more dependable water supply to the facility, which accommodates more than 1,500 inmates and personnel.
Representing the Archbishop at the inauguration, Bishop Wale Ajayi said the intervention was conceived to support the correctional centre and improve the living conditions of inmates, as well as the working environment of correctional officers.
The Assistant Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Zonal Headquarters, Zone G, Controller Mosue Oizuajemen, described the project as timely, saying inadequate water supply had been a major challenge at the facility.
Oizuajemen explained that the high cost of diesel and fuel for pumping water, compounded by irregular electricity supply, had made it difficult to maintain consistent water availability, and noted that the solar-powered system would provide a more sustainable alternative.
She said the intervention would make a significant difference to the centre, given the large population dependent on its water infrastructure, while commending Benson-Idahosa for her continued support for the welfare of inmates and correctional personnel.
The assistant controller-general recalled that the archbishop had previously provided borehole water to the facility, describing the latest gesture as a meaningful contribution towards ensuring access to water and improving humane conditions at the centre.