An inmate of the Nsawam Prison, Gerald Geoffrey Amenyo has put together a 161 page book and is set to launch it today, Saturday, November 30th 2019, 9.a.m, at the Prisons Head Quarters in Accra.
Dubbed, “Not Rejection but Direction”, the book seeks to encourage persons, especially prisoners who feel rejected by their family and loved ones to have hope that God is able to make a difference in their situation with time.
According to the author, “Not Rejection but Direction”, is ‘God’s directives to persons who feel rejected, abandoned, and forsaken, while in actual fact, they are on God’s calendar’.
“We easily blame God for our predicaments to the extent of doubting the existence of God when we find ourselves in affliction. Yet, in the plans of God, such moments are designed to ‘end in praise’ to reveal the plans of God for our lives,” he sated.
In an interview with Atinka News, the author who was sentenced 20 years in prison for robbery and has already served nine years called on the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to come to the aid of prisoners and help them address some of the challenges they face in there.
Recounting the ordeal of prisoners, Gerald Geoffrey Amenyo stated that aside the congestion in the prison, most families of prisoners do not visit them, which makes them feel rejected and abandoned.
He called on government to pay more attention to prisoners and consider their sentences.
He also advised the youth to look up to God in whatever challenges they face, urging them to desist from anything that will bring them to the prison.
On his part, the Public Relations Officer at Nsawam Prison, DSP Adamu Latif commended Gerald Geoffrey Amenyo for his behavior over the years.
“He is very active in our transformational programmes and we are not surprised he has been able to put this piece together,” he said.
Challenges
Naming the challenges of the prison, DSP Adamu Latif said it is the mandate of officers to keep inmates safe, provide their welfare needs and also ensure they are transformed through series of activities including education, vocational training and others.
However, he pointed that the prisons lack basic tools and equipment to administer the transformational activities.
He therefore called on philanthropic entities, NGOs, and individuals to help provide the basic tools for the prisons in order to reform the inmates.
He also stated that,”we are looking at how to reform all the inmates so whoever demonstrates any vision, we give him or her our support. This should serve as a lesson for others to emulate, and know that we are ready to help their dreams come through..”
Meanwhile, touching on the remission of prisoners who have showcased good characters, he stated that it is the responsibility of government to decide and that the officers will implement whatever decision government takes and where there is the need to recommend anyone they will also do it.
DSP Adamu Latif debunked rumours that inmates always have easy access to hard substances including weed, of which some get it through officers.
“It is not true that weed and other hard drugs are commonly used in the prison. It is difficult to get hold of weed in there but as a human institution, once a while it happens but anyone who is caught involved, especially an officer is penalized,” he said.
Support
Meanwhile, the Founder of Ropheka Foundation, who have supported Gerald Geoffrey Amenyo to print his book, Dr Mary Ofei Agyeman, said the foundation which cares for orphans, the aged and prisoners visited the Nsawamn prison where they discovered Gerald and decided to support him design and print his book…
She noted that there are a lot of potentials in the prisons, adding that the foundation is ready to support such people become better persons.
The Managing Director of Atinka Media Village, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, who hosted the prisoner and author commended him for writing a book and making good use of the years he has spent in prison.
He called on government to consider non-custodial sentences for some cases as currently reports suggest that the prisons are congested.
Mr Dwumfour also re-affirmed the AMV’s support to Gerald Geoffrey Amenyo on his quest to publicise his book and the Ghana Prisons Service as a whole to help address its challenges.
Source: Atinkaonline.com
