President John Mahama has granted amnesty to over 800 prisoners across the country. A Deputy Minister of Information, Murtala Mohammed confirmed this to Joy News. He said the amnesty is part of the Republic Day celebration. He explained that the rationale behind granting presidential pardons to prisoners. “The purpose for imprisoning people is to punish people who engage in crime and I believe also that it is a means through which people’s lives can be corrected. “It is a practice that successive governments have engaged in amnesty on Republic Days. “The recommendations will be given by the Ministry of Interior through consultations and discussions with Prison authorities who are with the inmates, he said.