Maame Efua Houadjeto is the CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has marked this year’s National Chocolate Day (Valentine’s Day), by presentating assorted food items to inmates of the Tamale Central Prison.
The items included boxes of chocolate, biscuits, soft drinks, and water.
This year’s National Chocolate Day, held on Saturday, was on the theme: “Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy and Grow Ghana.”
Angelo Dogbey Yossi, the Northern Regional Director of GTA, led staff of the Authority to present the items to the authorities of the Prison for onward distribution to inmates in Tamale.
The GTA’s delegation was accompanied by representatives of the Hotels Association, Tourist Clubs and the academia.
Yossi said the gesture was to celebrate the day with the inmates and to share love with them.
He told the inmates that “you are not forgotten,” adding anybody could find him or herself in the prison, hence the need to pay attention to the welfare of inmates.
He assured the inmates that the GTA would seek collaboration with other stakeholders to see how best to address some of the challenges of the Prisons in the region such as the water crisis.
Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Obed Kofi Acquaye, the Northern Regional Commander, Ghana Prisons Service, expressed gratitude to the GTA for celebrating the day with the inmates.
DDP Acquaye said the gesture meant a lot to the inmates, signifying that society still thought about them.
He spoke about the effects of stigmatising prisoners, who had been released from prison, saying such acts forced them to return to prison.
He emphasised that it was expected that prisoners got reformed before being released, adding society should embrace them and give them jobs to do because they were productive to enable them to contribute to national development.
While expressing appreciation to the GTA, some of the prisoners spoke about the challenges they faced in Prison such as water crisis, equipment for skills acquisition amongst others and appealed for support to address them.
