Anger In Prison Service

Anger is raging within the ranks of the Ghana Prisons Service over the manner certain personnel were promoted to the rank of Chief Officers. What has sparked the commotion is that the personnel in question were promoted at the time when their results has not been released by the institutions they studied for higher qualifications.

Again, the personnel who were promoted when their results were not released have been sneaked into an impending United Nations mission.

In addition to that, the personnel who had their studies at the Government Secretariat School in Cantonments in Accra were made to sit for Cadet Officer’s entrance examination.

The anger was as a result of the hierarchy of the service deciding to promote the personnel to the rank of Chief Officer and Assistant Chief Officer, at the time when most of them failed or were referred in some subjects after their final examination.

Information available To The Enquirer indicates that there was a backlog of Cadet Officer Course of over four years.

The Enquirer gathered per the laid down procedure, old Senior Chief Officers four years on the rank, Chief Officers on the rank for four year, High National Diploma in Prison Administration on the rank for two years were qualified for the entrance examination.

In addition to that, First and Second Degree Holders were included in the Cadet course but they were only interviewed on the areas of studies. However, those who attended the Government Secretariat School and were promoted were also made to apply to sit for examination, although they were qualified to write per the laid down procedure. The Enquirer learnt that their qualifications were equivalent to Diploma and as such must serve on the rank for two years before they would be qualified to sit for Cadet Entrance examination.

The Enquirer gathered that the group of personnel that were made to study at the Government Secretariat were handpicked to the detriment of the old personnel who had spent between 25 and 30 years in the service.

Sources within the high ranking officials said that the manner those who studied at the Government Secretariat were being offered opportunities as against the old personnel were the best.

According to the sources, in order not create low morale within the service it would be better not to pamper any group of personnel. Attempts by The Enquirer to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the story with the Public Affairs Unit of the service proved futile. When the paper placed a phone call to that outfit, it was told that the officer in charge had traveled outside Accra, further calls went unanswered.