President of Mama Love Foundation, an Obuasi-based NGO, is advocating the provision of facilities to promote conjugal visits in Ghana’s prisons.

Rev. Dr Love Konadu says NGOs like hers are prepared to partner government in providing facilities that will accommodate spouses of inmates for such periodic visits.

According to her, though she is aware prisons have no provisions for conjugal visits that permit spouses of incarcerated inmates to spend intimate moments with their partners, the absence of such provisions means some inmates resort to same-sex relationships to satisfy their sexual needs cravings.

"Though the country has taken steps to alleviate the plight of inmates, we are ready to partner government to put up facilities in our country's prisons to allow inmates to satisfy their sexual drives. We believe this will end all forms of homosexuality as reported in our prisons."

Rev Dr Konadu called on government to set up proper clinics at the prisons and improve the conditions of existing ones to take care of the health needs of the prisoners.

She made the call when she led her organisation and London-based Obuasi Sikakrom Association to donate food items, cooked food, soft drinks, bottled water, and health screening exercise to the inmates of the Obuasi Prisons.

The second in command at Obuasi Prisons, Chief Supt Diabor Adam Mahama, who received the items on behalf of the inmates, commended the NGO for the gesture, adding that it has come at the right time.

According to him, though the issue of conjugal facilities is laudable, the Prisons do not have facilities for such visits.

According to him, the Obuasi Prison is committed to fulfilling its mandate of keeping inmates in safe custody, upholding their welfare, and reforming and rehabilitating them to be acceptable to society.