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Interior Minister Presents Buses to the Ghana Prisons Service
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has presented three buses to the Ghana Prisons Service to improve the transportation of inmates to courts, medical facilities and rehabilitation programmes.
The buses, which include one Toyota Coaster, one Hyundai County and one Ashok Leyland, were made possible through the National Security Secretariat, which provided one bus, and Maripoma Company Limited, which contributed two.
“These buses are more than just a means of transport. They are instruments of efficiency, safety, and dignity,” he stated.
The Minister emphasised Government’s commitment to strengthening the correctional system and fostering rehabilitation across prisons and retooling of all security agencies, noting President John Dramani Mahama’s pledge of GHS 1 billion toward this agenda.
Mohammed-Mubarak also announced a significant increase in the daily feeding allocation for inmates, from GHS 1.80 to GHS 5.00. This move aims to provide more nutritious meals for over 14,000 inmates across the country.
“While I had hoped for an even greater increment, this marks a long-overdue departure from a rate that had been stagnant for far too long,” the Minister noted.
The Minister thanked the National Security Secretariat and Maripoma Company Limited for their support, and further called on companies, institutions, and individuals worldwide to support the Ghana Prisons Service, whether through equipment, training, infrastructure, or even small acts of generosity
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq.), expressed profound gratitude, describing the donation as an investment in human dignity, stating that it would enhance the service’s efforts to rehabilitate inmates and promote their welfare.
She thanked the Hon. Minister for dedication and unwavering support since his assumption of office.
“Muntaka has shown himself to be a true advocate and champion for the Ghana Prisons Service, giving us confidence and stability to stand on our feet,” she said.
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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