Ankaful, Aug. 12, GNA - The Management of MTN Ghana Foundation, on Wednesday, commissioned an ICT centre worth GHC 31.000 for the officers and inmates of the Ankaful prison in the Central Region.
The centre, which has an installation of five desk-top computers and ceiling fans, is intended to facilitate ICT training, as well as enhance the skills development and moral education of the more than 200 inmates and officers at the Ankaful prison.
Mr Robert Kudzu, Executive Secretary of MTN Ghana Foundation said the facility was provided based on a request made by the Ghana Prison service-Ankaful Prison.
He said MTN Ghana foundation was happy to assist with the development of ICT knowledge across all stakeholders and also to support the prisons reforms process, adding that, 93the Foundation is committed to the socio-economic advancement of the Ghanaian population.
"Prison reform is an important part of nation's development agenda and the foundation is proud to have engaged and assisted the Ghana Prison service undertake educational projects that will impact positively on efforts in that regard", Mr Kudzu said.
Mr Kudzu said apart from providing the Prison service with the ICT centre, the MTN Ghana Foundation was also establishing similar centres in all the regions and urged the beneficiaries to implement the maintenance culture to expand the life span of the facility.
Professor Franklyn Manu, Board Chairman of the Foundation, said the centre was another milestone in the history of the Foundation and that since 2007, it has invested more than GHC300 million Cedis on a number of health and educational institutions.
This include the refurbishment of the second floor of the maternity block of the Korle-Bu teaching hospital, the Princes Marie Children hospital and has also built schools in the Western, Eastern and Northern regions as well as sinking a borehole in the Upper West Region.
Prof Manu said the Foundation would continue to partner all institutions to enhance the development of the country and appealed to local authorities to show keen interest in projects being undertaken by the Foundation.
Mr Michael Kofi Bansah, Acting Director-General of the Ghana Prison Service, in a welcoming address said, the establishment of the centre was a wonderful partnership support and cooperation the prison service derives from the MTN Ghana Foundation.
He noted that inmates who fall between the ages of 18 and 35 constitute 78.2 percent of the total convicted prisoner's population of 10,366 and that 69 percent of this group was made up of basic and high school dropouts.
He said there was the urgent need to equip these inmates with knowledge and skills to minimize the tendency of them to re-offend after their release from prison and their opportunity of being employed could be enhanced.
Mr Bansah regretted that inadequate funding of the formal and non-formal programmes that would train inmates while in prison custody remains a challenge and stressed that the provision of the ICT facility would facilitate the inmate's education programme initiated by the prison service and further complement the on-going distance learning programmes at Nsawam, Kumasi, Wa, Tamale and Ankaful prisons.
He said 12 inmates wrote the BECE examination in the 2009/2010 academic year and was hopeful that the education of inmates would be integrated into the educational system of the country so that they may continue their education without difficulty after their release.
He commended MTN Ghana foundation for the centre and appealed for a replication of the facility in the remaining two prisons.
He urged social institutions, organizations and corporate bodies to support the Ghana prison service by providing rehabilitation programmes in the area of animal husbandry, block moulding and other functional literacy programmes to prepare the inmates for proper re-integration into society after discharge.
