The Director-General of the Ghana Prison Service, Madam Patience Baffoe-Bonnie Esq, has paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, to open up dialogue on areas of mutual collaboration that will enhance service delivery and ensure shared national progress.

In her remarks, Madam Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq) pointed out that the role of the Prison Service and that of local government are closely interlinked. She noted that the dividends of decentralisation especially in infrastructure, social amenities, and local development planning should extend to the country’s correctional facilities. These include the construction and maintenance of prisons, provision of staff accommodation, and the delivery of basic services such as CHPS compounds to ensure inmate welfare and staff well-being.

She stressed that the three arms of the Ministry Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs—collectively shape the society that prisons also serve. “We are not working in isolation. We are on the same journey. We are reforming lives, communities, and structures and that takes partnership,” she stated.

The Minister, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, warmly welcomed the delegation and acknowledged the critical role of the Prison Service in national development. He provided candid insights on what was currently possible within the Ministry’s framework and what may require further engagement across sectors. He assured Madam Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq.) of the Ministry’s openness to collaboration and advised that the Ghana Prison Service develop a formal composition or concept paper outlining specific proposals.

“This is how we begin through conversation and clarity. When that paper comes in, it will provide a basis for structured dialogue and policy direction. That way, we can push together for what is rightfully due the Ghana Prison Service and, ultimately, for a more just and humane society,” the Minister said.

The meeting ended with a mutual commitment to deepen inter-agency collaboration and pursue actions that will help translate policy into real and measurable benefits for the people.

Source : Darling Maame Efua Cann & Stephanie Edem Klutsey

Public Relations Unit, MLGCRA

 In fulfillment of part of the reset agenda on decentralisation, government, through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has released an amount of GHS 23,621,000, being payment of allowances for District Assemblies to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency.

Being part of the frontline men and women that represent government at the local level, the President believes thatit is prudent to ensure the welfare of the members so they can deliver on the President’s mandate and use the resources allocated to the Assemblies for its specific goal.

At a press conference on Monday, 14th July, 2025 at the Ministry’s conference room, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, reiterated that government’s move is aimed at improving service delivery at the local level as the former status quo had impacted negatively on the performance of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

It is for this reason, he said, that President John Dramani Mahama has committed eighty percent (80%) of the District Assemblies Common Fund to MMDAs, adding that government allocated One Hundred Million Ghana Cedis (GHS 100,000,000) in the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy aimed at paying all the nine thousand and eighty- five (9,085) Assembly Members across the two hundred and sixty - one districts.

Hon. Ibrahim mentioned that out of the GHS 100,000,000, the Ministry of Finance had released twenty - five million Ghana Cedis (GHS 25,000,000) as payment for the months of April and May. He stressed that each assembly member receiving one thousand three hundred Ghana cedis (GHS 1,300) as their monthly allowance, and thus with the current release, each assembly member was entitled to Two-Thousand, Six Hundred Ghana Cedis (GHS 2,600.00).

He further noted that government will deepen its commitments to MMDAs as part of the resetting and decentralisation agenda to provide adequate resources and logistics at the local level to promote effective service delivery.

Source: Chantal Aidoo

Public Relations Unit, MLGCRA

Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, has underscored the importance of youth empowerment as a tool to combat the increasing youth drug abuse at the La Traditional Area and its environs.

Speaking under the theme “Empowering Ghanaian Youth: Breaking the Chains of Drug Abuse through Cultural Heritage and Community Support,” at the 2025 Afrimi Yam Festival on Tuesday, 15th July, 2025 at Abese La - Adonten, a sub-burb of Accra, she hailed the role of traditional festivals in shaping societal values and rebuilding stronger communities.  She stressed that the time was a perfect one for the Chiefs and people of La to stand firm and support the young ones in the area.

According to her, “festivals like Afrimi are not just celebrations, they are platforms for reflection, education, and renewal. Through dance, storytelling, and rites, we instill discipline, resilience, and pride in our youth and these are tools to resist the pull of substance abuse.”

Hon. Sowah commended Abese La‑Adonten Mantse, Nii Kwade Okropong I, for his transformational leadership and dedication to cultural progress, adding that the fight against drug abuse is a shared responsibility among traditional leaders, faith-based institutions, educators, and parents.

She used the opportunity to comment on some of government's flagship programmes geared at boosting local economic development, reaffirming government’s commitment to the “National Reset Agenda” and the 24-Hour Economy Strategy.

 The Deputy Minister outlined some key initiatives aimed at empowering young people, like the Youth Resource Centres across all sixteen regions to provide counselling, training, and recreation; Expanded vocational, digital, and entrepreneurial programmes; labour law reforms for youth-friendly workspaces; and the Increased youth participation in local governance.

 She emphasized that the initiatives  are not just interventions, rather, they are bold investments in the future of the youth, and urged the Chiefs and people to take advantage of it, stating that most of the young people engaging in the drug menace could be re-oriented and given employable skills to help reduce the scourge  of drug abuse.

She pledged the Ministry’s support in community-led youth development initiatives at the La Traditional Area, calling for closer collaboration between traditional authorities and government institutions.

Hon. Sowah also praised the Afrimi Festival Oversight Committee for its efforts in organising a well-structured, purpose-driven celebration, urging that the festival become a catalyst for a wider social movement.

She was  hopeful that the festival will unite and become a great force to enhance development in the area, stating that her appointment as the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs must bring unity among the chiefs in the La Traditional Area where she hails from.

Nii Kwade Okropong I used the occasion to appreciate and celebrate the Deputy Minister for her continuous support and contribution to the La Traditional Area. He gave her a citation and a plaque, in demonstration of how she has immensely contributed to her community over the years, giving her all to La and also making them proud with her appointment as the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.

Source : Chantal Aidoo

Public Relations Unit, MLGCRA