Plans for a Sports Complex for Correctional Centre

Accra, Jan 13, GNA - Management of the Senior Correctional Centre (Borstal Institute) in Accra will soon initiate measures to construct a mini sports complex to enhance sporting activities at the Centre. The Borstal Institute abounds with a lot of talents in all sporting disciplines but most of the inmates have not been able to develop their talents due to lack of sporting facilities at the Centre. Miss Elizabeth King, Deputy Director of Ghana Prisons Service in Charge of the Correctional Centre said these when she received on behalf of the Institute a donation of 5,000GHC, a set of jerseys, 30 footballs and food items by Bahmed Travel and Tours on Tuesday. She said that the cash component of the donation will be channelled into the construction of a mini sports complex adding that the decision will however be finalised with the collective decision of the Council of the Institute.

The Deputy Director said the provision of sporting facilities at the Centre will go a long way in helping to nurture sporting talents for the nation.

"We have a lot of budding national stars for almost all the sporting disciplines but we will need the facilities to groom them for the nation." Miss King added.

Miss King, however, noted that the donation was woefully inadequate hence the need for more support from other corporate bodies and institutions to realize the dream of providing a sports complex for the use of the Centre.

She said the Centre which has 130 inmates with ages ranging from 12-21 has also not been able to perform their functions adequately because of inadequate budgetary support.

Miss King said each inmate receives a meagre allowance of 60GP each for three square meals each day and this makes the Council face problems and are ineffective in performing its duty of reforming the inmates. She noted that even though there is the need for an increment in the package, government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility hence the need for companies to come to the aid of the Centre to enable them integrate the inmates into the society. Alhaji Ahmed Bandoh, Chief Executive Officer of Bahmed Travel and Tours who presented the items on behalf of the company said his decision to donate to the Centre was motivated by the living conditions and plight of the inmates.

He said the inmates are part of society and efforts must be made by all to support them in order to have a successful integration into society.

Alhaji Bahmed said that the company remains a reliable partner to the Centre as it continues to make annual donations to the inmates and therefore appealed to other corporate bodies to join to support in the rehabilitation of the inmates who are in their youthful stages of life and need guidance and support. 13 Jan. 09