President issues promotions in Prisons Service

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has issued a raft of promotions that run through the topmost positions to the rank and file in the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS).

The President gave the approval for the promotions last Tuesday on the advice of the Prisons Service Council, in accordance with Article 207(3) of the 1992 Constitution.

New departments

The service has also created two new directorates — Agriculture, which has been decoupled from Operations, and Health.

A statement signed by the Chief Public Relations Officer of the GPC, Chief Superintendent of Prisons (CSP) Courage Atsem, said the Director of Prisons (DOP), Mr Isaac Kofi Egyir, has now been promoted to Deputy Director-General of Prisons (DDGP) in charge of Operations.

The President has also promoted six deputy directors of prisons (DDPs) to DOPs.

They include DDP Francis Omane-Addo, the then acting Director in charge of Agriculture, who is now the DOP in charge of Welfare; DDP Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, then the acting DOP in charge of Health, who is now the DOP in charge of Services and Technical.

Others are DDP Samuel Adjei-Attah, until recently the Greater Accra Regional Commander of Prisons and Commandant of the Prisons Officers Training School, who is now the DOP in charge of Health; DDP Samuel Akampure Akolbire, who was the General Staff Officer and Commanding Officer of the Prisons Headquarters, now promoted to DOP in charge of Operations.

The rest are DDP Hanson Adu-Awuku, the former Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Manhyia Local Prison, now the DOP in charge of Agriculture, and DDP Ernest Asante-Adofo, who was the OIC of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison and Eastern Regional Commander of Prisons, who is now the DOP in charge of Human Resource Development.

Deputy directors

The President also promoted five Assistant Directors of Prisons (ADP) to DDPs.

They are ADP Edmond Boye Odonkor, ADP Raphael K. Tuekpe, ADP Ali Kwaku Ababio, ADP Martin Kweku Darku and ADP Simon Yao Adzah.

Other promotions

In a related development, the Prisons Service Council had earlier approved the promotion of 20 Chief Superintendents of Prisons (CSP) to ADPs.

It also promoted 38 Superintendents of Prisons (SP) to CSPs and 85 Deputy Superintendents of Prisons (DSP) to SPs.

In all, 1,842 junior officers were also promoted to various higher ranks within the junior officer corps.

• Mr Samuel Adjei Attah & Mr Isaac Egyir