The Ghana Muslim Students Association (GMSA) of the University of Cape Coast on Friday, February, 13, 2015 donated items worth several cedi’s to the Ankaful Maximum Security Prisons.
The gesture, which included toiletries, used clothing, detergents, soft drinks, indomie and other provisions, formed part of activities to mark the 15th Islamic Propagation Week Celebrations.
Delivering the items on behalf of GMSA, GMSA president, Abdulah Alibaba intimated that GMSA UCC has over the years noted to the inmates of the prison as part of their fulfillment of the act of worship as prescribed by Allah.
He said that it is society’s responsibility extend the hand of care to people who have found themselves in prison, so that the inmates would not feel neglected by society.
Receiving the item on behalf of the inmates, Central Regional Public Relation Officer of the Ankaful Maximum Security Prisons, Mr. Daniel Machator, thanked the delegation for their kind gesture and called on other benevolent organisations to emulate such an example.
He however, bemoaned that society should not stigmatize people who have come out of prison, maintaining that, “everybody is a potential prisoner” and therefore society must show love and care to people who are victims of prison.
Mr. Machator disclosed that there was a case where a freed prisoner committed suicide because he was ridiculed and stigmatized by community members and therefore society must learn to integrate freed prisoners back to society.
Interacting with Choicism.com reporter, some the inmates decried poor feeding system as a major challenge in the prison.
They held that inmates were not allowed to cook and the food given them was small in quantity and they often ate kenkey which was low in nutrients.
They therefore made a passionate appeal to government to intervene and change the feeding system in the Ankaful Maximum Security Prisons for the better.
The Ankaful Maximum Security Prison houses inmates close to one thousand and it was commissioned in 2008 by the late president, Prof. John Evas Attah Mills as prison for those serving long sentences and house notorious criminals such as Ataah Ayi.
Story: Abdul-Karim Mohammed Awaf(Fayar)
Communication Studies (0268466467)
