The Director of Prisons (DOP) in charge of Agriculture, Mr. Hanson Adu-Awuku has advised agricultural officers in the various prisons establishments to support the Prisons Administration’s agenda of enhancing agricultural activities in the prisons in order to increase production which will in turn help in supplementing inmates’ ration and also generate revenue.
DOP Adu-Awuku made the call last Thursday, when he, on behalf of the Director-General of Prisons, Mr. Isaac Kofi Egyir, presented Three/3 boom sprayers, three/3 maize sheller machines and a power tiller worth GH₵120,000 to the Eastern Regional Commander, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Samuel Owusu-Amponsah at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.
‘The spraying machines which are expected to serve three/3 stations that are mainly into maize cultiavation namely: Nsawam Medium Security prisons, Ejura Camp and Kpando local prisons, would be used for the application of weedicides, pesticides and fertilizers’, Mr. Awuku said. He indicated that fifteen/15 agricultural officers have undergone training to operate the machines, and would in turn train other officers on the operation and management of the machines.
DOP Adu- Awuku also noted that with the use of the spraying machines, work on the prisons farms will be less stressful, ensure timely eradication of pests and weeds and also increase crop yields.
Mr. Adu-Awuku therefore charged the beneficiary stations to maintain the machines well and use them for their intended purposes.
The Eastern Regional Commander who received the machines on behalf of the beneficiary stations expressed his gratitude to the Director-General of Prisons and the Prisons Administration for the gesture. He pledged his full support to ensuring proper maintenance and use of the machines to boost agricultural production in the prisons.
Mr. Owusu-Amponsah also called on corporate bodies and individuals to assist the Service in the procurement of more agricultural machinery in support of the Prisons Administration’s agricultural mechanization drive.
