Mr Ibrahim Kwarteng with the released in mates , their children and some members of the Okoso community
The 63-year-old mother, Naomi Offei, and her two daughters, who were sentenced to prison for stealing two “olonkas” of corn, were yesterday released from the Nsawam Maximum Security Prisons (NSMP).
The release followed a news report carried on Thursday, October 11, 2018, edition of the Ghanaian Times, on the women and her two daughters languishing at the prison for the crime.
Narrating their ordeal at a multi-stakeholder conference, the daughter of the woman, recounted how they were arrested at gun point by a caretaker after they had gone there to harvest left over maize, leading to their sentence.
Black Stars winger, Christian Atsu, who heard of the story, intervened and paid the fine of Gh¢360 imposed on the women through the Crime Check Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, for their release.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times, yesterday after gaining their freedom, the mother and her daughters, expressed happiness for the help received as they could return to take care of the 11 children they left in the care of strangers following their imprisonment.
Hannah Offei, a daughter of Madam Naomi Offei, said life at the NMSP was not easy as they underwent harsh conditions whiles there.
The breast feeding mother recalled how she had to go for the morning porridge for her little boy to feed on, and while attending to the day’s work at the prison, a Good Samaritan took care of the boy.
It was all joy when they arrived at Okoso in the Adeiso Municipality of the Eastern Region, when their 11 children and members of the community poured out on the streets to welcome the mother and her children from jail.
According to some members of the community, the lands of the ex-prisoners and others in the community were sold off to a businessman for the planting of rubber trees, and due to this, the inhabitants have lost access to their farms hence constant suffering and poverty.
The women and members of the community appealed to the general public to assist them in order to take care of their children, to prevent them from migrating to “the cities” in search of jobs.
BY ALLIA NOSHIE
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