News
‘Community service sentencing will decongest prisons’
A one-day sensitisation workshop for key stakeholders on community sentencing in Ghana has taken place at Takoradi in the Western Region.
The key stakeholders are traditional authority, assembly members, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), People with Disabilities (PWDs), the legal department, and the security agencies among others.
The main objective was to seek their views on community sentencing as a better correctional method compared with custodial sentencing.
The Paralegal and Education Officer at the Sekondi Prisons, Superintendent of Prisons), Mr. Ibrahim Yakubu, in his delivery said the prisons were correctional places but not a place of punishment as some people thought.
He said the prisons rather consumed without producing anything and the amount spent on each prisoner was woefully inadequate therefore community sentencing would reduce government expenditure in prisons in the country.
He said if community sentencing became part of the law and implemented, it would decongest the prisons and money which was spent on prisoners would be channelled into other development projects.
He said the prisons did not have enough equipment like sewing machines, machines for making footwear, dryers for hairdressers among others, so if the number in the prisons were reduced, the few machines available would pave the way for active and proper learning teaching at the skills training workshops for inmates.
Supt. Yakubu admitted that the prisons in Ghana were overcrowded because minor and less risky offenders were given custodial sentences with few fine payment options unlike countries like Rwanda, Burkina Faso and others where minor cases were given community sentence.
He said it was long overdue for Ghana to consider passing laws to include Non-custodial sentencing to community sentencing in the justice delivery systemin order to decongest the already overcrowded prisons.
A Director at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Africa Office, Miss Mina Mensah, said there were many advantages because a convict would work in his or her own community and the young convicts would would not stop their education because they could work and still go to school.
She noted that people went to prison because there was no other means of sentencing and the society did not allow any integration so convicts were forced to go back to commit crimes in order to remain in prison.
The Programme Manager of CHRI, Madam Esther Poku-Atuahene said the Community Service Bill was a better alternative to custodial sentencing because it would benefit the community and the nation at large.
She mentioned cleaning, collection of rubbish, redecorating community spaces where the community used as public gathering areas as some of community sentencing.#
From Peter Gbambila, Takoradi
News
Cake Tekniks holds 59th graduation ceremony
About 30 students on Sunday graduated from the 59th graduation ceremony of Cake Tekniks International, a privately-owned modern cake designing and sugar craft school in Accra.
During the ceremony, all graduates were presented with certificates while 13 of them also received professional diploma.
The founder of Cake Tekniks International, Mrs Jane Addo, said her outfit was dedicated to providing world standard skills, knowledge and hands-on training necessary for one to succeed worldwide in the culinary industry.
She encouraged the students to embrace the opportunities, challenges and experiences, mindful of the fact that they are well-equipped.
“Hold your heads up while you build a goodwill between your clients and yourselves,” she added.
Mrs Addo said the school was passionate about fostering the culture of creativity, motivation and excellence with the belief that every student had the potential to make a lasting impact in the culinary world.
The founder and leader of QA Consult, Mr Johnson Opoku-Boateng, said graduation was a witness to the unveiling of talents, passion and hard work and testament to months of dedication and hands-on-learning.
He urged the graduands to ensure that their cakes were safe and good for human health and that their success would be dependent on how well they serve, create and grow.
The event also saw the exhibition of cakes and pastries by the students.
receiving her certificate
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
News
Debutant Bella Agyemang lauded for Box Office ‘Magic’
New producer, Bella Agyemang, has been hailed by Silverbird Cinemas and other industry players for her Box Office ‘Magic’ over the weekend.
Bella’s ‘Check In’ movie has received praise for being the first to sell at the cinemas this year.
Speaking to The Spectator, Sales and Marketing Lead at Silverbird Cinemas Ghana, Nana Kwame Obiri-Tete said, for a debutant, Bella Agyemang did fantastically well in her maiden premiere.
He said he was proud of Bella Agyemang’s effort in getting people to show up, adding that she engaged in a lot of marketing activities.
He said her marketing activations on the streets, coupled with other Public Relations endeavours, pointed in the right direction.
“With what she has done, it shows that Bella has a big future. You might have a good product, but if you fail to market it, you cannot get people to patronize. Bella put in a lot of work, which is why she was able to draw a lot of people to the premiere,” Obiri-Tetteh said.
Bella Agyemang, on her part, expressed appreciation to fellow actors, her team, media personalities and all stakeholders who supported her effort ahead of the premiere.
The much-awaited star-studded Ghanaian comedy movie ‘Check-In’ premiered at Silverbird Cinemas on April 12, 2025.
The movie tells a story of chaos and a blackout at a secluded hotel, and amidst these, a resourceful attendant must unravel hidden connections between guests and restore peace before secrets tear them apart.
The movie, produced by Bella Agyemang, featured Kofi Okyere-Darko (KOD), Clemento Suarez, Jeneral Ntatia, Priscilla Opoku-Agyeman, Felicia Osei, Gideon Kojo Boakye, Clinton Odoi, Fiifi Jefferson Pratt, and Gabriel Hogan among others.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
