The Federal Government says plans have been concluded to construct railway line from Lagos to Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.

President Goodluck Jonathan who stated this at Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State recently, when he commissioned the medium size prison built by the State Government in partnership with the Federal Government equally highlighted that the federal government will build a deep sea port in Akwa Ibom State.

The president who was represented by the Vice President, Arc. Mohamed Namadi Sambo, noted that the federal government is working round the clock to improve the agricultural sector to enhance food production in the country and stressed that adequate funds will be channeled into the sector.

He assured the government and people of the state of federal government’s plans to ensure improved power supply in the state and announced plans by federal government to sign M.O.U with every necessary community to improve the oil and gas sector in the country.

The president equally announced that three new refineries, petro-chemical and fertilizer plans are to be constructed within four years in the country and assured that Akwa Ibom will be a beneficiary, stressing that the federal government will soon stop the importation of petroleum products into the country.

On the new medium prison, President Jonathan said it is a corrective center and thanked the Akpabio’s administration for undertaking the project and for giving the state good governance.

On his own, Governor Godswill Akpabio said his administration’s priority is the welfare of the people including that of the prisoners in the state.

He said his administration has intervened in many federal Government projects in Akwa Ibom State to enhance the living standard of the people.

The governor expressed happiness that his administration collaborated with the Nigerian Prison and the Ministry of Interior Affairs to ensure that the 160 bed medium security prison, which he said was designed for all class of people is a reality.

The controller, Nigerian Prison Service, Mr. O. A. Ogundipe, on his own said the event is a testimony to the synergy between the Federal Government and Akwa Ibom State to make our criminal justices processes less cumbersome and less suffocating.

“The completion and commissioning of the prison today therefore is another step towards the repositioning of the process that will enable the criminal justice sector rise to the challenges of service delivery” He highlighted.

According to him “The face of the prisons in Nigeria today is a very challenging one. The fact that thirty four thousand (34,000) out of the estimated forty eight thousand (48,000) prisoners in custody are awaiting trial detainees actually frustrates the efforts of prison officers to reform convicts. This is so because more time and resources are being expended in containing the pre-trial suspects in custody than in reformation of convicts”.

Ogundipe noted that the intervention of the Akwa Ibom State Government in completing the prison would go a long way in ameliorating the plights of prison inmates in the state.