SALAGA LOCAL PRISON COMMISSIONS NEWLY CONSTRUCTED EDIFICE FOR INMATES

The Northern Regional Commander of Prisons, DDP Thompson Otsyokpo, and Hon. Hajia Zuwera Mohammed, MP for Salaga South, have commissioned a newly constructed edifice for the Salaga Local Prison.

The commissioning took place on Friday, 27th of October 2023, at the forecourts of Salaga Local Prison, was graced by the Municipal Coordinating Director, Honourable Sylvester Noah Kyeiileng who doubled as the Chairman for the Ceremony, representatives of the Municipal Heads of Institutions, among others.

The newly constructed edifice comprises of a fully furnished tailoring shop with three industrial sewing machines donated by Send Ghana and an infirmary with an open space and consulting and healthcare constructed by the MP for Salaga South, Hon. Hajia Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahima.

The completed edifice with training facilities was built by the inmates and local prison officers under the auspices of the Officer In-Charge and the Municipal Commander of Salaga Local Prison, CSP Simon Abofra.

Addressing the event, CSP Simon Abofra thanked the Government of the Republic of Ghana, the Prison Directorate, and the public for their support to the prisons over the years.

He commended the MP for the edifice and appealed to government and the public to help them address some of the current challenges faced by the local prisoners and prison officers.

Touching on a plight, he indicated that there is an acute water shortage, high cost of transferring inmates from Tamale to Salaga to fill the prison’s capacity due to a lack of a sitting judge/magistrate at the Municipal Court, breakdown of the station tractor, lack of drugs for the treatment of sick prisoners, lack of furniture, and office space for senior officers as some of the challenges confronting the station.

The Northern Regional Commander of Prisons, DDP Thompson Otsyokpo, who had admonished officers at a durbar in the early hours of the day, addressed some concerns raised by officers at the durbar in his keynote address at the function, stating that the Ghana Prisons Service, as a State Institution, is mandated to ensure safe custody, welfare, reformation, and rehabilitation of inmates if practicable.

According to him, the past officers in charge of Salaga Local Prison worked tirelessly to get resources from well-wishers to support the prison but to no avail until Honorable Hajia Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahima heard the cry of the prison and came to its rescue by providing funds for the construction of an infirmary and tailoring shop.

DDP Thompson Otsyokpo added that the reformation and rehabilitation of prison inmates is a herculean task that requires the responsibilities and efforts of all Ghanaians to achieve

He used the opportunity to call on all institutions, civil society organizations, individuals, and all Ghanaians to emulate the steps taken by the honorable MP to give a dignified life to our brothers behind the bars.

He commended the MP for the edifice and her kind gesture to Salaga Local Prison, alluding to Matthew 25:42-45, reminding everyone of their stewardship to the imprisoned and the marginalized as a work for God, who will reward everyone in due time.

The MP for Salaga South, Hon. Hajia Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahima, in her inaugural speech, quoted the mantra ‘Our health, our strength’ as the driving force for the construction of the edifice.

According to her, she has taken a keen interest in the development of the municipal prison service and the welfare of the prison inmates.

She assured the Northern Regional Commander of Prisons that she would strengthen their bond of partnership between her office and the prison to bring more donations to the prison and work towards improving the feeding rate of the prisoners.

The Municipal Coordinating Director, Honorable Sylvester Noah Kyeiileng, who chaired the ceremony, in his closing remarks, tasked all institutions, including the prisons, to always present their budgets to the Municipal Assembly on time to enable them to receive assistance from the common fund.