CCF to extend prison initiatives to other West African Nations

As part of efforts to extend its initiatives and advocacy to other West African nations, Crime Check Foundation (CCF) has paid a courtesy call on the High Commissioner of Togo to Ghana, His Excellency Awoki Passana.

The visit was to discuss ways of collaboration to enable the smooth implementation of CCF’s work in Togo as the first country to benefit.

The Executive Director of the Foundation, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng touting the achievements of the organization indicated that the collaboration was going to help reduce the growing crime rates in the sub-region.

He explained that Togo and Ghana have similar challenges facing their prison systems and these affect the welfare of prisoners and violation of their rights.

According to Mr. Kwarteng, Crime Check Foundation would visit prisons in Togo and interact with Ghanaian prisoners to understand their challenges.

“We believe we can work together to ensure the criminal justice system serve the needs of both countries. We will introduce our interventions especially the Petty Offenders project in Togo through which we can help pay the fines of these offenders,” he said.

This, according to Mr. Kwarteng who is a PhD candidate at the University of Ghana School of Migration Studies will strengthen ties and ensure safe migration to make the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on free movement beneficial.

“We share common cultural, economic, and political traits. We are brothers and you will find that Togolese and other West African nationals are able to integrate into the Ghanaian system easily. It is therefore important to ensure that the free movement protocol does not lead to increased crime.

The High Commissioner of the Togolese High Commission in Ghana, His Excellency Awoki Panassa commended Crime Check Foundation for its work and the idea of its expansion to his home country.

Excited about the plans of CCF, Mr. Panassa assured the Foundation of his full support noting the lapses in the criminal justice systems across the sub region sighting a situation where some names of Togo nationals in Ghana’s prisons were presented to him but turned out their identity were incorrectly.

“I want to thank you for the work you are doing and I want to assure you that you can call on us for help anytime you face any challenge in executing your work’.

 ‘The Foreign Ministry sent us names of Togolese prisoners but when we checked they were not from Togo. There should be more due diligence in the work,” he complained.

At the meeting, it was also revealed that many Ghanaians have been imprisoned in Togo for migration offences but are not able to provide contact details.