Prisons Service Council sets up committee to investigate disturbances
The Prisons Service Council has set up a three-member Committee under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Colonel Seth Ohene Asare (Rtd) to investigate the September 15 disturbances at the Kumasi Central and Sekondi Central prisons.
A statement signed by Air Marshal John Asamoah Bruce, Chairman of the Prisons Service Council, in Accra on Monday said the Committee would investigate the circumstances and reasons for the disturbances, including the immediate and remote causes.
It would determine whether or not the officers routed their grievances through the appropriate channels of communication in the Prisons Service before resorting to a public demonstration and any other matters.
The committee is to make such findings and recommendations that will prevent the future occurrence of such agitations, disturbances and demonstrations in the Prisons Service.
The committee is to commence work on September 22 and submit its report not later than October 6.
Other members are Dr Jacob Plange-Rhule and Assistant Director of Prisons (Rtd) C.W.K. Agbale who will also be the Secretary.
Prisons officers in Kumasi and Sekondi on September 15 embarked on a demonstration in protest against what they described as “discrimination” in the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSSS).
They said their action was not politically-motivated but was to express their frustrations and call government’s attention for redress.
They appealed to President John Evans Atta Mills to call the Fair Wages Commission to order to ensure justice and fair play in the implementation of the new pay policy.
The protestors vowed not to admit any new prisoner or allow visits into the prisons until their grievances were resolved by the government.
The officers chanted war songs and carried placards, some of which read: “The discrimination is too much,” “We are tired of frustrations,”
“The Police is not better than us.”
Some of the officers who spoke to the Ghana News Agency said the widening disparities in the salaries and those of their counterparts in the Police Service were indications that the government had more interest in the Police than the Prisons Service.
They claimed for instance that, a constable in the Police Service was receiving about GH¢750, while a Chief Officer in the Prisons Service, which is equivalent to a Chief Inspector, in the Police Service was receiving GH¢780, under the SSPP.
The government condemned the industrial action embarked upon by a detachment of the Prison Service describing it as “a violation of rules of engagement for security personnel”.
Mr James Kwadwo Agyenim Boateng, a Deputy Minister of Information, said: “By their conditions of engagement, the Prison Service, as well as other security establishments, is debarred from participating in demonstrations, industrial unrest and any unionist activities.
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) also assured security personnel that no officer would be worse off under the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
Mr Smith Graham, Chief Executive Officer of FWSC said: “There is no cause for alarm, no cause for any demonstration.”
He described the action as a surprising development as the process for progression unto the SSSS was explained to the officials.
Source: GNA