Alhaji Aminu Suley, mni, the recent
appointment of a new acting Comptroller
General of the Nigerian Prisons service is in
line with the vision and mission of the
Transformation Agenda of the government of
President Goodluck Jonathan, and the
appointment of Alhaji Aminu Suleh, mni, is a
true confirmation of the statement, ‘putting
square pegs in square holes’, this is because
the appointment shows government’s
commitment towards
a true reformation of
the Nigerian Prisons.
Over the years there have been cries from
various sections of the country for a true and
succinct reformation of the Nigerian prison
with much having not been done in that
regards and many analysts and public
commentators have shared various opinions
on the subject. While many place the problem
of reforming the prisons on the doorstep of
government, others have taken a closer and
more critical look at the men who have
occupied the seat of Controller General in
recent times and have concluded that
perhaps some of them haven’t lived up to the
billing simply because they have lacked the
capacity and grasp to take the Nigerian
Prisons to enviable heights; an opinion which
has led many to applaud the recent
appointment of Alhaji Aminu Suleh, mni, as
the new comptroller general of the Nigerian
Prisons.
But who is Alhaji Aminu Suleh, mni? Perhaps
a cursory look into his background can shed
more light on the person of this man who is
saddled with the responsibility of leading the
Nigerian Prisons.
Alhaji Aminu Suley, mni was born in Azare in
Katagun Local Government Area of Bauchi
State on the 25th August, 1959.
He attended Day Primary School, Azare from
1967 to 1972, after which he proceeded to
Government Secondary School, Misau for his
Secondary Education which he completed in
1977. Aminu had his University education at
the University of Jos from 1980 to 1983, from
where he bagged his Bachelor of Science
degree in Political Science. Before his degree
programme he attended the Bauchi College of
Arts and Science where he obtained his
IJMB.
Alhaji Aminu joined the Nigerian prisons in
1989 as a chief superintendent of prisons
and from then he rose through the ranks by
dint of sheer hard work and perseverance
which stood him out as a man of astounding
qualities.
He was elevated in 2007 to the rank of
Assistant Controller General of Prisons and
on the 1st January 2008 he became Deputy
Controller General.
In the course of his career in the Prisons
Service he has served in various capacities
at the Prisons National Headquarters, Abuja,
which include, Controller of Prisons, in charge
of Budget and Finance from April 2006 to
January 2008; Deputy Controller General of
Prisons in charge of Budget and Finance from
January 2009 to December 2010 and Deputy
Controller General of Prisons in charge of
Works and Logistics from 2011 to July 2014,
from where he became Comptroller General
of Prisons (Covering Duties).
Alhaji Aminu Suley is renowned for some of
the finest qualities deposited in a man. His
disposition towards life gives him away as a
very simple man who is also very religious.
Those around him readily describe him as a
man that despite his position still remains
faithful to his spiritual life of being an Alfa, an
Islamic scholar, who regularly gives spiritual
guidance to those around him.
Indeed one other quality that best describes
him is that, although not known to many,
Alhaji Aminu Suley remained loyal and
obedient to his predecessor in the services
even though he was a more senior colleague
in the services to the latter. An attribute
rarely found among many men. His
relationship with his subordinates is more of
friendliness other than the slave master
approach adopted by many others in his
position.
The brief biography, is brief because Alhaji
Aminu is a man of many parts, given a very
clear indication of a man that has seen it all
and been involved in many capacities in the
Nigerian prisons, enough to give him edge
over all else to lead this very important
sector of government to its glory land. Alhaji
Aminu Suley is a hand-on man.
The prisons services had all kinds of
maladministration and corruption over the
years and there is no gainsaying that only the
appointment of a thoroughbred professional
and experienced individual will be enough to
right the wrongs in this very important
sector. It is noteworthy that the various
attempts made to update the Prisons Act of
1972 have failed beginning with the move by
law makers under the Committee on Internal
Affairs in 2001. The draft bill that came out of
that effort could not be passed before the
end of that legislative session. Despite the
fact that the same bill was updated in 2005
and went for a second hearing, again it could
not go through the whole legislative process.
A humane prison system calls for the
establishment of an acceptable legal
framework that will provide the platform for
reform.
A lot has been said about issues of delayed
justice in the guise of court adjournments
and remands which has led in many parts to
congestion of our prisons, and all efforts to
decongest our prisons have been abortive till
date. But opinions have it that the problem of
Nigerian prisons is more of lack of know-
how on the part of those who have been at
the helms before now rather than anything
else. Experts believe that the Nigerian
prisons has been bedevilled by lack of quality
leadership and personnel to effectively
translate knowledge gathered over the years
in the course of service and that the inability
of many past leaders to bring to bear the
years of training and retraining has caused
the Prison Services more harm.
Therefore, Alhaji Aminu Suley has to hit the
ground running and live up to expectation.
There is no doubt that he is a qualified
candidate to fill the position of comptroller
General, and expectations are high that he
will deliver because his achievements speak
volume of the kind of leadership the Nigerian
Prisons is getting. We can only wish him all
the best on this new, but not insurmountable,
challenge.
appointment of a new acting Comptroller
General of the Nigerian Prisons service is in
line with the vision and mission of the
Transformation Agenda of the government of
President Goodluck Jonathan, and the
appointment of Alhaji Aminu Suleh, mni, is a
true confirmation of the statement, ‘putting
square pegs in square holes’, this is because
the appointment shows government’s
commitment towards
the Nigerian Prisons.
Over the years there have been cries from
various sections of the country for a true and
succinct reformation of the Nigerian prison
with much having not been done in that
regards and many analysts and public
commentators have shared various opinions
on the subject. While many place the problem
of reforming the prisons on the doorstep of
government, others have taken a closer and
more critical look at the men who have
occupied the seat of Controller General in
recent times and have concluded that
perhaps some of them haven’t lived up to the
billing simply because they have lacked the
capacity and grasp to take the Nigerian
Prisons to enviable heights; an opinion which
has led many to applaud the recent
appointment of Alhaji Aminu Suleh, mni, as
the new comptroller general of the Nigerian
Prisons.
But who is Alhaji Aminu Suleh, mni? Perhaps
a cursory look into his background can shed
more light on the person of this man who is
saddled with the responsibility of leading the
Nigerian Prisons.
Alhaji Aminu Suley, mni was born in Azare in
Katagun Local Government Area of Bauchi
State on the 25th August, 1959.
He attended Day Primary School, Azare from
1967 to 1972, after which he proceeded to
Government Secondary School, Misau for his
Secondary Education which he completed in
1977. Aminu had his University education at
the University of Jos from 1980 to 1983, from
where he bagged his Bachelor of Science
degree in Political Science. Before his degree
programme he attended the Bauchi College of
Arts and Science where he obtained his
IJMB.
Alhaji Aminu joined the Nigerian prisons in
1989 as a chief superintendent of prisons
and from then he rose through the ranks by
dint of sheer hard work and perseverance
which stood him out as a man of astounding
qualities.
He was elevated in 2007 to the rank of
Assistant Controller General of Prisons and
on the 1st January 2008 he became Deputy
Controller General.
In the course of his career in the Prisons
Service he has served in various capacities
at the Prisons National Headquarters, Abuja,
which include, Controller of Prisons, in charge
of Budget and Finance from April 2006 to
January 2008; Deputy Controller General of
Prisons in charge of Budget and Finance from
January 2009 to December 2010 and Deputy
Controller General of Prisons in charge of
Works and Logistics from 2011 to July 2014,
from where he became Comptroller General
of Prisons (Covering Duties).
Alhaji Aminu Suley is renowned for some of
the finest qualities deposited in a man. His
disposition towards life gives him away as a
very simple man who is also very religious.
Those around him readily describe him as a
man that despite his position still remains
faithful to his spiritual life of being an Alfa, an
Islamic scholar, who regularly gives spiritual
guidance to those around him.
Indeed one other quality that best describes
him is that, although not known to many,
Alhaji Aminu Suley remained loyal and
obedient to his predecessor in the services
even though he was a more senior colleague
in the services to the latter. An attribute
rarely found among many men. His
relationship with his subordinates is more of
friendliness other than the slave master
approach adopted by many others in his
position.
The brief biography, is brief because Alhaji
Aminu is a man of many parts, given a very
clear indication of a man that has seen it all
and been involved in many capacities in the
Nigerian prisons, enough to give him edge
over all else to lead this very important
sector of government to its glory land. Alhaji
Aminu Suley is a hand-on man.
The prisons services had all kinds of
maladministration and corruption over the
years and there is no gainsaying that only the
appointment of a thoroughbred professional
and experienced individual will be enough to
right the wrongs in this very important
sector. It is noteworthy that the various
attempts made to update the Prisons Act of
1972 have failed beginning with the move by
law makers under the Committee on Internal
Affairs in 2001. The draft bill that came out of
that effort could not be passed before the
end of that legislative session. Despite the
fact that the same bill was updated in 2005
and went for a second hearing, again it could
not go through the whole legislative process.
A humane prison system calls for the
establishment of an acceptable legal
framework that will provide the platform for
reform.
A lot has been said about issues of delayed
justice in the guise of court adjournments
and remands which has led in many parts to
congestion of our prisons, and all efforts to
decongest our prisons have been abortive till
date. But opinions have it that the problem of
Nigerian prisons is more of lack of know-
how on the part of those who have been at
the helms before now rather than anything
else. Experts believe that the Nigerian
prisons has been bedevilled by lack of quality
leadership and personnel to effectively
translate knowledge gathered over the years
in the course of service and that the inability
of many past leaders to bring to bear the
years of training and retraining has caused
the Prison Services more harm.
Therefore, Alhaji Aminu Suley has to hit the
ground running and live up to expectation.
There is no doubt that he is a qualified
candidate to fill the position of comptroller
General, and expectations are high that he
will deliver because his achievements speak
volume of the kind of leadership the Nigerian
Prisons is getting. We can only wish him all
the best on this new, but not insurmountable,
challenge.
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