The Grand President and Grand Auxiliary President of Tamale Knights of St John International, a benevolent society in the Catholic Church has feted inmates of the Navrongo Prisons in the Upper East Region with prepared hot local dishes.
The meals included Kenkey and fish, rice and beans, Bambara beans, and Tobaani (Beans cakes) accompanied with soft assorted drinks.
The society also donated assorted products worth GHc 5,750 to the Prisons which included toiletries, used clothing, confectionery, fruits, sanitizers, gari, and rice.
Dr. (Major) Jude Bayor, District Commander, who presented the items to officers and staff of the Navrongo Prisons indicated that the cardinal role played by the Order in the Catholic Church is to serve humanity through charity works.
Dr. Bayor said this year’s donation which was a slight deviation from the annual visits over the years made usually by members to the Sirigu Babies Home, an adopted orphanage of the Order also could not come on due to security issues in the area.
Mrs. Gloria Atigeyellah Ayamga, Deputy Superintendent of Prisons (DSP) who received the items on behalf of the Regional Commander of Ghana Prisons, Mr Yakubu Abugrago, Assistant Director of GPS, expressed gratitude to the KSJI for the benevolence shown to the inmates.
ASP Oscar Puiyire, Officer -in charge of religious affairs who also thanked the Order and expressed challenges of the prison since the emergence of Covid 19 and called for similar kind gestures from organizations and individuals to help in the upkeep of inmates.
Among other challenges, ASP Puiyire mentioned were inadequate beds or mats, medications for the management of minor health problems of inmates, inadequate feeding and clothing for the inmates.
The members on the visit who spanned from Holy Angels in Garu, Holly Family in Bawku, Sacred Heart cathedral, Bolgatanga, members of St Theresa Parish in Tongo, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Basilica in Navrongo shared spiritual reflections and prayed with the inmates.
Other members came from the St Francis Xavier of Sirigu, St Paul’s Parish, Walewale, St Joseph Parish, Soe, and Wiegah, Noble Sister Albana Dong, the District Organizer of the Ladies Auxiliary and a Grand Board Member advised inmates to see the various terms they served as a reformation and urged them to comport themselves and turn away from whatever reasons they were sent to the prison.
