Let community service be the penalty for minor offences - Regional Minister

Mr Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, has called for the inclusion of community service in the country’s penalty code for minor offences.

He said minor offenders, sentenced to community service, could provide free labour to do community farming and to keep the cities clean, among other benefits.

The Regional Minister was addressing a mentorship programme for Senior and Junior High School Students, an initiative of her ladyship Sophia A.B. Akuffo, the Chief Justice, at the premises of the Kumasi High Court.

The programme, under the theme: “I pledge myself to the service of Ghana", was aimed at igniting the sense of patriotism in the students, whiles also offering the platform for them to have a first-hand experience of the Country’s judicial system.

He urged the students to embrace patriotism and shun lawlessness and other social vices such as alcoholism, gambling substance abuse, which could ruin their future.

The Chief Justice, Madam Cynthia Pamela A. Addo, the judicial service secretary, Nana Baffour Owusu Amankwaatia, Bantamhene, representing Otumfuo Osei Tutu, the Asantehene and Mr Paul Osei Assibey Antwi, the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), were some of the dignitaries who attended.

The Senior high schools, which attended were; the Kumasi Academy, Konongo Odumase Senior high, St Louis and Serwaa Nyarko Girls as well as the Kumasi Anglican SHS. Participants of junior high schools came from; the Abraham Lincoln, Amakom Abrotia M/A, Konadu Yiadom M/A, St Theresa’s and St Anne’s Anglican.