NPP will build 2 Prisons Service hospitals – John Boadu

A New Patriotic Party (NPP) government will ensure that two Prisons Service hospitals are constructed to cater for the health needs of personnel in the service, acting General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, has stated.

In a bid to rejuvenate the security services in the country, the party says it will provide several incentives to encourage the personnel to execute their duties effectively.

According to Mr Baodu, the party will “build two Prison Service hospitals, one each in the Southern and Northern sectors of the country”.

This will be in addition to two other “new police hospitals at Sunyani and Bolgatanga”.

The party has already announced plans of establishing one military hospital in the Northern Region.

The party has promised that under an NPP government, “Ghanaians will feel safe on the streets and in their homes. Ghanaians will go about their daily business in the secure knowledge that their personal properties and lives are safe under an NPP Government”.

Mr Boadu further explained that an NPP government would ensure that all “our security personnel are properly trained, properly-resourced, and provided with incentives to enable them discharge professionally”.

The party also hopes to do the following to rejuvenate the security services:

1. Roll out a National Barracks Regeneration Programme that will invest in rehabilitating and upgrading living quarters of all our security services across the country

2. Review and restructure recruitment into our security services to stamp out the fraud and cronyism that have been introduced into this process by the Mahama-led NDC government

3. Continue to recruit additional personnel, with increased recruitment of women, into our security services, and, for the police, we work towards the target of meeting the U.N. ratio of 1:500 police to civilians

4. Provide the police with modern communication and policing equipment

5. Build 2 new police training schools

6. Harmonise and standardise police training across the country, and improve and resource all police training institutions, including the command college at Winneba

7. Complete the third phase of the 37 Military Hospital project, as well as upgrade its equipment to meet modern medical challenges, having constructed the second phase

8. Continue local and foreign training for Armed Forces personnel

9. Commit to adjusting upwards peacekeeping allowances in line with new increases by the UN

10. Ensure that personnel who serve in UN Peacekeeping Missions are paid at their duty post

11. Take immediate steps to decongest our prisons, and introduce a system to separate remand and convicted inmates, reform pre-trial detention, prison management, sentencing, including noncustodial sentences, social integration, and health facilities for prisoners, prison officers, and civilian employees

12. Offer competitive remuneration to enable the Security Services attract the best personnel

13. Provide each district with a Fire Service station where none exists. Where there is one, the NPP will upgrade it as required to meet the minimum standards expected of a modern, well-equipped fire station, and

14. In recognition of their multiple roles, and also as part of the NPP’s aim to grow rapidly our tourism and hospitality sector, we shall pay particular attention to the training and incentivisation of the personnel of the Immigration Service.