The Osagyefo Power Barge Centre at Effasu Mangyea in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region is set to be converted into a school for the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS), in a joint initiative by the area’s Member of Parliament, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, and Municipal Chief Executive Benedict Boadi.
The proposed conversion is intended to give the facility a new purpose by supporting education, skills development and rehabilitation within the Ghana Prisons Service.
The initiative follows years of uncertainty surrounding the Osagyefo Power Barge project, which was established as part of Ghana’s efforts to address electricity supply challenges.
On November 16, 2015, the Ministry of Energy directed the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to take over ownership of the power barge. The facility was subsequently dismantled, sparking controversy in the Jomoro Municipality.
The barge was expected to contribute to electricity supply in parts of the Western Region. However, then Deputy Minister of Energy William Owuraku Aidoo told Parliament that about 90 per cent of the facility had been dismantled without authorisation.
The development followed calls by Jomoro MP Dorcas Affo-Toffey for the prosecution of the company involved in the dismantling. She argued that the action constituted an illegality.
Proposed School to Support Education and Rehabilitation
The planned conversion is expected to prevent the centre from falling into disuse while creating opportunities for educational and skills-based programmes within the Ghana Prisons Service.
If implemented, the school could provide inmates with access to formal education and practical skills to support their reintegration into society after serving their sentences.
The proposal also reflects efforts by local and national representatives to identify alternative uses for public infrastructure and direct it towards community and institutional development.
Personnel from the Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana Immigration Service and Ghana Police Service, alongside officials of the Jomoro Municipal Assembly led by MCE Benedict Boadi, have already visited the facility to assess its suitability for the proposed project.
The collaboration between the MP and the MCE is expected to guide discussions on the facility’s future and the practical steps required to make the conversion possible.
Implementation Details Yet to Be Confirmed
Although the proposed conversion could give the centre a new role in correctional education and rehabilitation, key details are yet to be established.
These include the implementation timeline, funding arrangements, educational programmes to be offered, required approvals and the institution that will manage the proposed school.
The project’s progress will therefore depend on the necessary planning, approvals and implementation arrangements.
If successfully executed, the initiative could preserve the facility and provide an additional avenue for education and skills development within the Ghana Prisons Service.
By:Rachael Djabakie