A total of 448 recruits of the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) on Friday passed out of the Prison Officers Training School (POTS) in Accra.
The Recruit Course 122, first of three recruit courses being run this year were made up of 261 males and 187 females who underwent eight months of classroom and field training in various aspects of prison security from December 2022 to June 2023.
Participants of Recruit Course were drawn from various professional and vocational backgrounds with Diploma and Higher National Diploma (HND), carefully selected based on the human resource needs of the service.
At their passing-out parade held at the POTS, the graduates mounted a parade which was reviewed by the Deputy Minister of the Interior, Naana Eyiah.
The officers seized the opportunity to show off and execute their very well-rehearsed marching skills with precision and accuracy at the brief but colourful ceremony.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Minister, Naana Eyiah commended the newly recruit officers and the GPS for their essential role played in the criminal justice system, and national security.
She said the government’s commitment to resource the security service agencies well enough to fight crime and its related activities, especially in the wake of violent extremism led to the roll out of a number of interventions including the expansion of the manpower base of the security agencies.
“The GPS received its fair share of this intervention as we are witnessing the passing out of Recruit Course 122 today to boost the existing staff strength and further enhance its operational capacity,” she added.
The minister charged the officers to exhibit the skills and knowledge acquired through their training while ensuring discipline and professionalism as they discharge their mandate.
She implored them to treat prisoners with care, respect, and decency without compromising their professional ethics “bearing in mind that imprisonment is punishment in itself and not for punishment.”
“Direct your energies towards self-improvement and avoid all acts of indiscipline to safeguard your career. Remember there is no such thing as a bad station, wherever you are posted to endeavor to make use of the opportunities available there to your advantage,” Mrs Eyiah added.
As part of the event, some officers who distinguished themselves in their course of training were presented awards and they included Recruit Officer Hammond Stephen, best in physical training, Recruit Officer Abdulai Abass, best in drill, Recruit Officer Derry Lillian, best in academics, Recruit Officer Asare Doris, received the commandant’s award and Recruit Officer Ahiaxornu Reuben was crown the overall best recruit officer.
Present at the parade were Mr Isaac K. Egyir, Director General of Prisons Service, other management members of the Prisons Service, heads of security agencies, clergy, traditional leaders, senior security officers, family and friends among others.
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR
