Inmates of the Navrongo Central Prisons in the Upper East Region have made an appeal to the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, to assist the station with a vehicle.
The inmates say the station needs the requested vehicle for official use.
They made this appeal when the minister stopped over at the station on his way back from Sandema, capital of the Builsa North Municipality, on Thursday 28th July, 2022.
The inmates also brought up some other difficulties facing them. They include what they describe as a low feeding fee of Gh¢1.80 per inmate per day and the unpaved state of the prison’s yard which they say becomes muddy whenever it rains.
The station currently has one Navara pickup, which is being used by the Regional Commander as an official vehicle. The same car is also being used for other offical duties such as conveying inmates to court, health facilities and the prison’s farm at Kologo, a community in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality.
The lack of vehicles makes it difficult for a good number of the prison’s staff to honour the ceremonies of their colleagues such as weddings and funerals among others.
Interacting with the inmates, the Regional Minister said he was hopeful that they would leave the correctional centre positively reformed in the interest of society by the time they had finished serving their respective terms. Responding to their concerns, the minister said the government was already considering increasing their feeding fees. He then pledged to provide two trips of sand for the levelling of the yard.
He expressed delight about the state of the inmates’ infirmary when he extended his visit to the facility and promised to provide the facility with drip stands and some other medical equipment. The prison currently houses about 200-plus inmates.
By Bawah Swanzy Ayaribila