By Lawrence Olaoye
A member of the House of Representatives, Rep Abiodun Akinlade, has said that he chose to celebrate his birthday with prisoners and the less privileged in the society as a way of giving a sense of belonging to the deprived in the society.
The lawmaker representing Egbado South /Ipokia federal constituency recently celebrated his 47th birthday by presenting vocational materials worth several millions of Naira to the inmates of the Ilaro Prison for the learn learn trades and acquire skills ahead of their integration with the civil society after their term.
Akinlade who is also a governorship hopeful in Ogun state in 2015 and the current Chairman of the House committee on Science and Technology, in an interaction with newsmen yesterday said “I have been celebrating my birthday with friends and relatives in comfort of my home in the past but my family and I resolved to put smiles on the faces of prisoners and the less privileged in the orphanages this time around.
“We discover that this set of people are detached from the society and most of them are mere victims of circumstances. They needed to be given the hope that they would be reintegrated into the society after their jail term. Our prisons should be reformative and not punitive and this is why we have chosen to celebrate my birthday with the presentation of these vocational items to the inmates,” he explained.
The lawmaker who commissioned some other constituency’s projects in Ipokia, Owode and Ilaro communities called on politicians and men of means in the society to come to the aide of the less privileged in the society maintaining that politics must be played in the country with the welfare of the people at the centre stage.
Commenting on the ongoing National Conference, Akinlade said there can never be too much negotiation for peace and progress in the country.
He assured that the resolution of the Confab would be deliberated upon when forwarded to the National Assembly just as he enjoined the delegates to have the interest of the country at the back of their minds in the course of their deliberations.
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