The welfare of Prison inmates Paramount to Gov’t – Dery

The Ministry of Interior has signalled its commitment to helping inmates to realise their full potential and to demonstrate that incarceration does not mean the loss of rights.

To this effect, through its allied agencies it has prepared and registered fifty-two prison inmates for the upcoming National Vocation Training Institute Examinations in August/ September this year.

Another set of inmates numbering nine had been registered to sit for the November 2018 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSC).

Already, twenty inmates were registered to sit for the recent Basic Education Certificate Examination in May/June 2018.

Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister of Interior said this at the Ministry’s 2018 mid-year review meeting in Accra on Wednesday to ensure that it remained on track in achieving its targets.

The day’s event was also to discuss the challenges encountered and find strategic ways of mitigating them to improve on the Sector’s Performance.

Regarding infrastructure of inmates, the Minister said although the Nsawam Remand Prisons Project was at a slow pace due to inadequate budgetary allocation, efforts were being made to secure adequate funding in the 2019 Budget for the completion of the projects.

On capacity building for personnel, Mr Dery said the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons had been able to organise a capacity building programme for officers from selected institutions on Arms Trade Treaty.

He said to strengthen the mandate of the Gaming Commission (GC)as it related to the Gaming Act, 2006 (Act 721), the GC was working on an amendment of the Gaming Act and the development of a Legislative Instrument (LI) with the Attorney-General’s Department.

Mr Dery said the National Peace Council had built the capacity of 29 Municipal, Metropolitan and District Executives in the Brong- Ahafo Region in conflict resolution and noted that about 30 youth comprising 16 women and 14 received training on conflict management and resolution in the Northern Region.

The government, he hinted had given financial clearance for the Ministry to enable Agencies namely, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prisons Service, and Ghana National Fire Service to recruit to augment their current numbers to meet international best standards.

Despite recent setbacks, Mr Dery said the Ghana Police Service continued to make strides in the International scene, as a team of Police Personnel had been deployed to Peace Keeping duties in Sudan in the period under review.

Touching on the issue of the eight suspects alleged to be involved in abuse, he said the Police High Command was still investigating the issues.

“The Ministry expects a report of resultant action on all personnel found guilty in this matter. I must emphasise that Mr President is sensitive about Ghana’s image internationally and Ghanaian Service personnel on international assignments must be duty compliant with international best practices.,” he said.

The Minister said in recent times, the attitudes of some personnel in the Police Service had attracted negative reportage that had brought into focus the training of personnel.

Mr Dery noted that Disciplinary processes initiated would be pursued to their logical conclusion and appropriate sanctions imposed adding that it behoved on the Agency Heads to continue to retrain the personnel to display professionalism and eschew negative attitudes.

Credit: GNA