Authorities of the Ghana Prisons Service in the northern region have welcomed the inauguration of the Northern Region Muslims Council of Ghana and thus called on the faith based organization to extend its tentacles to the inmates at the Tamale Central Prisons.
Speaking on behalf of the Northern Regional Commander of the Ghana Prison Service at the inauguration ceremony last Saturday, December 10, Mr. Mohammed Amin Mohammed Yarina intimated some of the objectives of the council falls in line with the constitutional mandate of the Prison Service which are safe custody, welfare, reformation and rehabilitation.
“These are the four mandates the constitution has assigned to us as Prison Service to do and when you take the objectives, objective 4, 6 and 8 talks about these four core mandates. So I am here to say we are very happy to have this council established and to say that we would be knocking on the doors of the council to come our aid in our prisons.”
The Prison Officer stated those incarceration require the attention and support of institutions such as the Northern Region Muslims Council of Ghana in their reformation and rehabilitation process to become better people for the society after serving their jail terms.
“Whatever that is good for us those outside the prison is the same needed for them inside the four corners of the wall. It is not easy for them and it is not easy for us especially Muslims who are there – they are suffering.”
In view of this, Mr. Mohammed Yarinaa therefore appealed for the creation of skills training centres and guidance and counseling sessions to support the rehabilitation of the inmates.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Northern Region Muslims Council of Ghana, Imam Issah Alhassan Abubakar, in his welcome address outlined the objectives of the council which include; to promote peaceful coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims, establish guidance and counseling centres in a bid to addressing social, moral, religious and other needs of the Muslim Ummah, to promote quality education and skills training of the Muslim youth, promote research Islam Theology and collaborate with administrative and traditional authorities for development, maintain discipline, peace, law and order among others.
He said that it is an open secret in the region live in destitution and adversarial divisions have left everybody suspicious of the other.
“We would gather at one place but we are not together. We belong to the same unions but we are not united. Every institution or Mosque holds a different position on matters that call for one voice and common position at both regional and national levels” he pointed out.
He noted the narrative has to change has to be changed and someone has to take the bold initiative towards bringing about the much anticipated.
From Mohammed Gadafi
