Football Agent Lends Support To Inmates

Mr Tony Appiah, a UK-Based Football Agent, through the instrumentality of Mr Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, Ambassador Extraordinaire of Prisons and Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation, has feted inmates of the Winneba Local Prison.

Mr Kwarteng told the GNA that most inmates at the Winneba Local Prison got into detention through hunger and they had never had good food for a greater part of their lives, while in Prison, so it was a relief to them when the football agent decided to feed them.

He said the feeding fee the Government provided for the prison authorities to feed the inmates was woefully inadequate and called for an increase from the current from GH¢ 1.80 per day to GH¢ 5.00.

He said this would not only provide quality food for the prisoners, but also ensure their improved health status.

He described as 'unacceptable', the poor quality of food provided for prisoners; a situation, he believed, had worsened the health of most of those in critical health conditions.

Mr Kwarteng said for the past two months, he with his team, had been touring some of the Prisons to support the inmates with some good food with the aid of some benevolent individuals based in Ghana and abroad.

The Ambassador Extraordinaire said due to his activities and operations, organisations were joining to support the Ghana Prisons Service.

The Essential Relief Service, an NGO, he said, had decided to construct a wall in front of the Winneba Local Prisons.

He said, much as prisoners had limited rights, they deserved to be treated with dignity and respect in order not to defeat the purpose for which they had been kept in custody, which was to reform and rehabilitate them.

He also urged the Government to fast track the passage of the Alternative Sentencing Bill into Law to reduce the congestion in the prisons, which still remained high despite the introduction of the Justice For All Programme.

He advised the inmates to take advantage of their stay in Prisons to transform their lives with the various artisanal skills being taught by the officers.

Mr Appiah, in an interview with GNA, said he had been observing the activities of the Ambassador and decided to also join to support him with the little he had.

He said his desire was to support more activities initiated by Mr Kwarteng that sought to bring reformation and transformation to the Prison Service.

"I have also decided to support the 'Operation 2000 Fans' project launched by the ambassador," he added.

Some of the inmates commended the Ambassador for the great work he and his team were doing to support them and the Ghana Prisons Service.

They also thanked the various individuals and organisations, who had teamed up with the Ambassador.