The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the World Human Rescue and Advocacy Organisation (WHRAO), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mr Michael Asare, has called for equal opportunity and justice for the less privileged in society.

He said the poor were often denied justice when accused of crimes and, in many cases, wrongfully jailed because they could not afford legal representation to ensure the fair administration of justice.

Mr Asare made the call during a presentation ceremony to inmates of the Ho Central Prisons as part of activities marking the national launch of the organisation in the Volta Region on Monday.

Items presented to the inmates included packs of rice with chicken, soft drinks, a 32-inch flat-screen television, toothpaste and toothbrushes, as well as toilet rolls.

Mr Asare explained that the objective of WHRAO was to embark on vigorous public education and advocacy to eliminate discriminatory practices against the less privileged in society. He said the organisation would work to ensure that suspected offenders were provided with legal counsel to determine their cases, rather than being jailed simply because they lacked legal representation.

According to him, there were hundreds of innocent people in various prisons across the country who would not have been incarcerated if they had access to lawyers.

“WHRAO will take the necessary steps to ensure that such people are provided with legal representation so that justice can be served,” he stated.

Mr Asare stressed that the organisation’s activities would help prevent innocent people from going to jail and also contribute to reducing congestion in prisons nationwide.

The Chaplain of the Ho Central Prisons, Reverend Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP) Courage Atsu, said as part of ongoing reform efforts, inmates were being trained in vocational skills, including tailoring, to enable them to reintegrate smoothly into society after serving their sentences.

The Director of Communications of WHRAO, Ms Philippine Gordor, who presented the items on behalf of the organisation, said the gesture was to demonstrate WHRAO’s commitment to supporting inmates in prisons across the country.

Receiving the items, the Second-in-Command at the Ho Central Prisons, Chief Superintendent of Prisons (CSP) Mr Isaac Boakye, expressed gratitude to WHRAO for the donation, noting that it would help improve the upkeep of inmates.

He also appealed to other institutions, organisations and philanthropists to support the prisons service to enhance inmate welfare.