Ghana Prisons Service Boss pays courtesy call on Ga Mantse, seeks support for preservation of historic James/Ussher Fort Prisons

The newly appointed Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (ESQ), has paid a courtesy call on His Royal Majesty King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse at his palace, seeking royal blessings and forging stronger ties with the Ga State.

During the visit, Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie introduced herself formally to the Ga Mantse and expressed her deep appreciation for the rich history and support the Ga State continues to offer the Ghana Prisons Service.

“I come before you today to submit myself to your kingdom and to ask for your blessings as I take up this new role,” she said.

With over 37 years of service in the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie recalled her beginnings at the now-closed James Fort Prison in Accra.

She used the occasion to propose a bold vision—transforming the historic James Fort into a heritage and educational centre that tells the story of the Ghana Prisons Service to the world.

“James Fort and Ussher Fort have housed some of the most prominent individuals in our history. We have the records, the history, and the stories. My desire is to see James Fort developed into a historical edifice that preserves and shares that legacy for future generations,” she said.

The Director-General also appealed to the Ga Mantse for assistance in securing land within the Ga State for the expansion of the Service’s infrastructure, particularly in Accra.

She lamented the encroachment on lands originally allocated to the Service, attributing the issue to bureaucratic challenges at the Lands Commission.

“As Accra is the administrative capital, we urgently need land to build a new headquarters and expand our operations. The Ghana Prisons Service headquarters itself sits on Ga land, and we continue to recruit many of our personnel from this community. One of your people even told me he has three children in our service—showing that the partnership is already alive,” she stated.

Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie assured the Ga Mantse of her commitment to creating job opportunities for the youth within his jurisdiction and further pledged to deepen cooperation between the Ghana Prisons Service and the Ga State.

She appealed for support in the area of ICT infrastructure and capacity building, promising to return with detailed proposals.

“I am confident that when my time of service comes to an end, I can look back and say that this visit yielded tangible results that benefited both the Prisons Service and the Ga State.”

King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II welcomed the Director-General warmly and commended her for her vision and dedication.

He assured her of the Ga State’s support and expressed optimism about future collaborations aimed at preserving history, creating opportunities for the youth, and strengthening institutions of state.

On his part, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II commended Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie on her historic elevation as the second female Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service.

The King described her as a woman of wisdom and expressed confidence in her leadership.

He encouraged her to ensure that prisons across the country are maintained in good shape and serve their purpose of rehabilitation and reform.

The King further appealed to the Director-General to consider allocating a quota for the Ga State during recruitment into the Ghana Prisons Service to enable more Ga youth to serve their nation through the institution.

“This is your home, and we would be glad if more of our youth from the Ga State are given the opportunity to serve,” he said.

The delegation which paid the courtesy call on the Ga Mantse include; The Director General of Prisons, Mrs Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq), Director of Prisons in charge of Services, Mr Benedict Bob-dery, Director of Prisons in charge of Technical, madam Gloria Essandoh, Director of Prisons in charge of Operations, Mr Francis Selorm Hagbe, Director of Prisons in charge of Welfare, madam Millicent Owusu, Deputy Director of Prisons, Charlse Ameyaw, the Chief Legal officer and Assistant Director of Prisons, Michael Osei Akoto.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith