Group Seeks 2-Year Extension For NCoS Boss

A group, DiamondHeart Initiatives, has asked the relevant authorities to extend the tenure of the controller-general of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Nwakuche, by two years.

The executive director of the organisation, Comrade Ikechukwu Norbert, made the call in a statement, ahead of the scheduled end of Nwakuche’s tenure on November 27, 2026.

Norbert said the proposed extension was aimed at providing continuity for ongoing reforms in the correctional service, particularly in parole and non-custodial corrections, rehabilitation and reintegration, correctional agriculture, vocational development and staff welfare.

“Our position is fundamentally about continuity of reform, not continuity for an individual. Where important programmes have already commenced, continuity can provide the stability required to consolidate them,” he said.

The organisation cited the release of 10 parolees in Abia State in June 2026 as one of the developments it said required further consolidation.

It also pointed to the reported access by the service to more than 12,263 hectares of arable land for correctional agriculture, saying the initiative could support rehabilitation, vocational training and skills development.

Norbert said the proposed extension should be time-bound and subject to clear performance objectives, measurable deliverables and periodic assessment.

“Continuity should not be viewed as an entitlement for any individual. It should be viewed as an opportunity to complete, evaluate and institutionalise reforms that are in the national interest,” he said.

DiamondHeart Initiatives said any decision on the tenure of the Controller-General must be taken by the competent authorities in line with the applicable legal and constitutional framework.

The organisation also commended the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and President Bola Tinubu over their roles in the correctional sector.

It urged the authorities to consider a lawful mechanism for the proposed two-year continuation, saying the objective was to sustain ongoing reforms and strengthen their institutionalisation.