President John Dramani Mahama has announced a one million Cedis allocation for the completion of the abandoned remand block at the Nsawam prisons.
President Mahama said the move aims at clearly distinguishing convicted prisons from those on remand. He said the situation where both the convicted and those on remand are put tother in the same prison cells cannot continue.
Addressing the induction service for the second term of the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Ghana, Reverend Stepehen Yenusom Wengam and the outdooring of the Executive Presbytery officers on Saturday, Nevember 7, 2026, President Mahama recounted the humanitarian efforts undertaken by Rev. Wengam in 2015 to get the project started.
“Reverend Wendam drew my attention to the fact that remand prisoners and convicted prisoners were all housed in the same prison. Your work with the Prisons Council, including the famous project Efiase, reflects a concern for the dignity and rehabilitation of people who are easily forgotten” he said.
He has since announced an allocation to complete the project in 2027.
“I am pleased to inform you that the project you started, which was the remand block of the Nsawam prison, One Million Cedis has been allocated in the next budget to complete it” he assured.
President Mahama was particularly worried especially when accused persons awaiting trial were classified as convicted inmates and treated as such.
“Remand prisoners have not been convicted, and so they are not criminals. But convicted prisoners, you can say, are criminals. And so if you put still innocent people with convicted people, then it’s not a good mix” he bemoaned.
He said though the projected started in his first term and has since been abandoned, it will be completed to bring reprieve to such persons.
“We started the new remand prison in Nsawam. After we left office, it was abandoned, and I’m happy to say that we will complete it next year” he assured.
