The Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, has expressed concerns over what he says is the increasing rate of drug trafficking within Ghana’s prisons, blaming the lack of proper security and surveillance infrastructure, thereby turning the prisons into hotspots for illicit trade.

Speaking during a meeting with Imams in the Ashanti Region on Thursday, April 3, he revealed that the lack of proper surveillance has turned prisons into hubs for drug transactions, posing a serious threat to national security.

The Minister did not hold back in describing the severity of the issue, stating that inadequate security measures have made it almost impossible to detect contraband items being smuggled into prisons.

“It is very shameful to say this, that we don’t even have X-ray scanners in our prisons, so our prisons have become a centre for drug trafficking. People who go in and out are only subjected to hand searches, and there is no way hand searches will be enough to detect everything. We need to have X-ray scanners so that as people walk in and out of the prison, you will be able to tell what they are carrying in and out.”

He emphasised that without modern technology such as X-ray scanners and CCTV cameras, prison officials remain powerless to stop the smuggling of illegal substances. According to him, these security lapses have transformed correctional facilities into thriving drug markets.

To address this growing concern, the Minister announced plans to introduce CCTV cameras and surveillance technology to help monitor activities within prisons. However, he admitted that this alone would not solve the problem, as other fundamental issues need attention.

"We are trying to introduce technology where we will get these scanners, put CCTV cameras across our prisons so that we will be able to watch what is happening in our prisons," he said.

Beyond security failures, the Minister also highlighted the dire conditions within prisons, particularly the inadequate feeding budget for inmates. He revealed that since 2011, prisoners have been surviving on a meagre allowance of 1 cedi 80 pesewas per day for three meals.

“Feeding is even a problem. Since 2011, we have been feeding our prisoners with 1 cedi 80 pesewas a day. Even the school feeding programme, which provides just one meal, has been increased to 2 cedis. And yet we keep adult prisoners and feed them three meals a day at 1 cedi 80 pesewas. I simply ask, even the pets that we have in our homes, how much do we feed them?”

In a related development, the Minister also directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, to transfer all police commanders stationed in areas affected by illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

Read also: Interior Minister orders immediate transfer of Police Commanders in mining areas