The Prisoners’ Pain

The sorrows and pain suffered by Tumba Jorro gave me a wake  up call in the identification of callous and  spiteful leadership. Tumba has been a bosom friend for many years’ whiles in the ghettoes. We plied our trade with the selling of gents wear and engage in scraps during the weekends. This has been our hustle ever since we came to the city to make ends meet. To say we have struggled is an understatement. We have really suffered especially walking for several miles to meet our clients, trying to meet the targets set by our employers, sending monies to our parents  and also trying to assist our younger ones on basic schools . Our night moments are associated with crying, planning and projection.

An understanding and a sight of  the prisoners’ pain came as a result of Tumba’s conviction to the prison for no reason. Tumba was sent into cells simply because he was unable to pay his debt on the due date. There was no docket prepared for him. He was just locked up. If not for the timely intervention of his church in paying that debt, perhaps he would died. The reason being that, the few days he spent has made him so sick that he is currently in an intensive care unit of the city hospital.

 I visited Tumba a day before he was released at the prisons and I had one of the greatest shocks of my life. How on earth will a human being survive in this kind of prison?  I am not careful to say that the ghettoes are by far more  preferred  than this kind of prison. Oh yhhh

Tumba narrates how he has experienced sleepiness nights because there are no beds, not even a worn out mattress. The cell is full  of heat likened to an oven. He further said, they are packed like tubers of yam with no iota of dignity as far as the human rights are concerned. They have no better meals, no better sanitations, and no better restrooms and are ill-treated.

 According to Tumba, there are people in prisons who are not supposed to be there; its due to their ignorance of their rights and unfavorable accusations.

The level of wickedness, ungodliness, and careless value of human life is not regarded. There is a feeling of rejection, dejection and isolation in the prisons. In-mates who may be suffering from any ailment are made to suffer to their own fate. Does the prison doctor care about the health of their fellow humans or they just think about their salaries? There is no dignity of any burial when in-mates kick the buckets.

I want our leaders to be concern about  the welfare  of in-mates in cells. Its just an unfortunate situation that has landed them there. They should be cared for and treated with human dignity.

The leadership story of Africa and the care for human dignity will be changed positively soon.

Samuel Elijah Boateng

The President, The Central Focus