The Deputy General Secretary of the United Party (UP), Nana Yaw Sarpong, has disclosed that President Mahama’s initiative to turn prisons into an agricultural hub was captured in the UP’s Great Transformational Plan (GTP).
He noted that the initiative was part of the party’s founder, Alan Kyerematen’s, ideas, which were incorporated into the GTP in the lead-up to the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on Angel Morning Show (AMS) on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Mr. Sarpong expressed his excitement about President Mahama’s imminent announcement to transform the country’s prison centers beyond mere punishment.
“When I heard about the initiative, I was extremely excited, the reason being that the initiative was incorporated into our great transformational plan,” he disclosed to Saddick Adams on Angel TV.
He continued that Mr. Kyerematen had questioned why prisoners do not produce their own food for consumption, thus coming about that initiative.
“While writing the Great Transformational Plan, Alan quizzed why Prisoners cannot feed themselves through farming and also make sales from the same plantation,” he recalled.
Mr. Sarpong further expressed concern over why such a good initiative had been long overdue after successive governments, indicating that prison centers have different professionals who could be utilized by tapping into their skills.
“If you visit the prisons, that is where you would find professors, Judges, Doctors, Nurses, lecturers, and lots of potential, so why don’t we utilize such potential?”
He commended President Mahama for the initiative and proposed building mini industrial factories within prison catchment communities to further heighten their productivity, hinting that prisoners also possess vocational skills.
Contributor: Opare Christabel
