The Minister for the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery, yesterday swore into office the Director-General of the Ghana Prison Service (GPS), Mr Isaac Kofi Egyir.
Mr Dery charged the new Director General to lead the service to achieve the President’s goal of ensuring safety for every Ghanaian.
He said the security services had been retooled to help them perform their duties well, and also ensure that their human resources were augmented to meet international standards.
He said currently recruitment of personnel into the security services was ongoing which was in tandem with the President’s goal of ensuring the safety of Ghanaians.
Mr Dery said the GPS played a crucial role in the administration of justice and the security of the country, and the confirmation as Director General would go a long way to consolidate efforts of the service.
On his part,Mr Egyir, was of the view that everyone needed to be given a second chance in life to correct their mistakes and behavein a socially acceptable manner.
“I personally espouse to a long held conception that every human being deserves a second chance and our unfortunate brothers are no exception,” he added.
He said the efforts of the government and the GPS should be oriented towards adding value to the inmates in order for them to take advantage of the second chance that might be given to them.
“I am therefore going to lead the charge to roll out effective rehabilitation programmes, especially in agriculture where the service has comparative advantage and other trade training programmes to impart basic skills to our inmates for successful re-integration to the society,” he said.
He promised to make GPS a relevant institution in the national development agenda of the country by the end of his tenure in office.
BY JEMIMA ESINAM KUATSINU
