By Chioma Favour
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, on Wednesday celebrated his 60th birthday with inmates of the Kuje Custodial Centre, Abuja, where he flagged off the registration of 100 inmates for the 2025 National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.
Fifty-seven inmates were registered for NABTEB, while 43 enrolled for NECO, in a move the Speaker described as part of efforts to promote rehabilitation through education.
Represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr. Chamberlain Dunku, Abbas said the initiative reflects his belief that every Nigerian deserves the opportunity to learn and rebuild. He pledged the House of Representatives’ continued support for correctional reforms aimed at national security.
The Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, represented by Deputy Controller General Olarewaju Amoran, hailed the gesture as “a beacon of hope,” stressing that correctional centres should be seen as hubs of reformation.
Similarly, the FCT Controller of Corrections, Peter Gen, described the event as “historic and symbolic,” noting that the Speaker’s choice to mark his birthday with inmates validated the Service’s ongoing reforms.
The event featured goodwill messages, songs, and prayers, as inmates expressed gratitude for the rare opportunity to pursue education and secure a better future.
